{"id":1694,"date":"2018-11-09T16:31:19","date_gmt":"2018-11-09T16:31:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kevinanderson.info\/blog\/?p=1694"},"modified":"2018-11-14T10:49:14","modified_gmt":"2018-11-14T10:49:14","slug":"the-university-of-manchester-to-demonstrate-global-leadership-by-making-an-equitable-contribution-to-tackling-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/kevinanderson.info\/blog\/the-university-of-manchester-to-demonstrate-global-leadership-by-making-an-equitable-contribution-to-tackling-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"The University of Manchester to demonstrate global leadership by making an equitable contribution to tackling climate change"},"content":{"rendered":"

This proposal is for an energy-based 2\u00b0C carbon budget to guide all UoM operations and strategic planning<\/strong><\/p>\n

This submission is to the UoM “Big Ideas” call; Nov. 2018<\/p>\n

Corresponding author: Kevin Anderson
\n(there are 29 UoM signatories to the proposal, including post-docs, PhDs, PS staff and academics) <\/p>\n

The recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) makes clear the unprecedented scale and timeframe of the mitigation challenge facing the global community if it is to deliver on the commitments enshrined in the Paris Agreement. <\/p>\n

Academia has been central to quantifying and qualifying the global and science-based \u2018carbon budgets\u2019 accompanying the Paris 1.5 and 2\u00b0C thresholds.[1] Moreover, University of Manchester academics have led on developing a carbon budget framework for the UK (now embedded in the 2008 Climate Change Act), the devolved administrations and, within the last two years, Greater Manchester Combined Authorities (GMCA) and Manchester City Council (MCC).[2]<\/p>\n

The \u201cBig Idea\u201d outlined here, is for the University of Manchester to demonstrate its confidence in the veracity of its academics\u2019 research and to fulfil its role as a Manchester, UK and global leader on climate change. Specifically, we propose that the University establish and adopt a comprehensive carbon budget framework to underpin all its future activities and development. To ensure a relatively robust and manageable accounting regime, the budget would relate specifically to energy use, including operational emissions arising from its research, teaching and knowledge exchange activities, along with the running of estates and university-related travel.[3] The most obvious approach would be to borrow the scientific method and analysis developed by Tyndall Manchester academics and used to derive equity-based 2\u00b0C mitigation rates for GMCA and MCC. <\/p>\n

The University already takes an important stand on a range of issues, race and gender equality amongst them. It is also a recent signatory to \u2018The SDG Accord\u2019 requiring it to \u201cembed the Sustainable Development Goals into our education, research, leadership, operations, administration and engagement activities\u201d<\/em>. Underpinning SDG 13, the IPCC\u2019s 1.5\u00b0C report emphasises how climate change is an existential challenge that will impose devastating impacts on poor, climate vulnerable and typically \u2018global south\u2019 communities. Furthermore and as emphasised by the UN, \u201cWomen commonly face higher risks and greater burdens from the impacts of climate change in situations of poverty, and the majority of the world\u2019s poor are women\u201d<\/em>. Consequently, the proposed University carbon budgets would have a strong scientific foundation, resonate with its commitments to race and gender equality and align closely with the University\u2019s third (and unique) pillar of \u2018Social Responsibility\u2019. <\/p>\n

A Russell Group University embedding such academic integrity and moral leadership in its daily operation and strategic planning would lend support to policy makers endeavouring to meet the challenges posed by climate change, as well as to the wider international community. <\/p>\n

[1] Carbon budgets put a constraint on the total global quantity of emissions (normally measured in billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide – GtCO2) that can be released from today and on throughout and beyond the century. The budgets relate to a given probability range of remaining below a specific temperature rise; for example a 66 to 100% chance of stabilising the global temperature rise at or below 2\u00b0C.<\/p>\n

[2] Away from the UK, Tyndall Manchester has contributed evidence to the European Commission\u2019s assessment of the EU\u2019s Paris-based carbon budget range; it has made similar submissions to the Swedish parliament and is currently developing regional carbon budgets for almost half of Sweden\u2019s L\u00e4n (regional governments) and for the smaller Kommuner (local councils).<\/p>\n

[3] Over time a complementary consumption-based accounting regime could be developed to provide guidance on carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions associated with purchases of equipment, materials in building projects and food consumed on campus.<\/em><\/p>\n

Signatories to the proposal:<\/strong>
\nProf. Kevin Anderson. Tyndall Centre, School of MACE
\nProf. Teresa Anderson, Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre
\nProf. Adisa Azapagic, School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science
\nDr. Daniel Bailey, School of Social Sciences
\nLisa Bell, Tyndall Centre, School of MACE
\nDr John Broderick, Tyndall Centre, School of MACE
\nClaire Brown, Power Networks CDT
\nSimon Bullock, Power Networks CDT
\nPhilippa Calver, Tyndall Centre, School of MACE
\nTimothy Capper, Power Networks CDT
\nTeresa Chilton, Faculty of Science and Engineering
\nProf. Ian Cotton, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
\nDr. Alejandro Gallego Schmid, Tyndall Centre, School of MACE
\nDr. Claire Hoolohan, Tyndall Centre, School of MACE
\nAlistair Hudson, Whitworth Art Gallery
\nDr Jaise Kuriakose, Tyndall Centre, School of MACE
\nProf. Alice Larkin, School of MACE
\nAndrew Little, Power Networks CDT
\nDr. Sarah Mander, Tyndall Centre, School of MACE
\nDr. Carly McLachlan, Tyndall Centre, School of MACE
\nProf. Tim O\u2019Brien, School of Physics and Astronomy
\nProf. John O\u2019Neill, School of Social Sciences
\nJames Mason, Doctoral Training Programme
\nProf. Matthew Paterson, School of Social Sciences
\nDr. Kate Scott, School of Environment, Education and Development
\nDr. Maria Sharmina, Tyndall Centre, School of MACE
\nAmrita Sidhu, Tyndall Centre, School of MACE
\nDr. Laurence Stamford, School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science
\nEsme Ward, Manchester Museum<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This proposal is for an energy-based 2\u00b0C carbon budget to guide all UoM operations and strategic planning This submission is to the UoM “Big Ideas” call; Nov. 2018 Corresponding author: Kevin Anderson (there are 29 UoM signatories to the proposal, including post-docs, PhDs, PS staff and academics) The recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) makes clear the unprecedented scale and timeframe of the mitigation challenge facing the global community if it is to deliver on the commitments enshrined in the Paris Agreement. Academia has been central to quantifying and qualifying the global and science-based \u2018carbon budgets\u2019\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_s2mail":"yes"},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":5}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/kevinanderson.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1694"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/kevinanderson.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/kevinanderson.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kevinanderson.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kevinanderson.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1694"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"http:\/\/kevinanderson.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1694\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1718,"href":"http:\/\/kevinanderson.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1694\/revisions\/1718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/kevinanderson.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1694"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kevinanderson.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1694"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kevinanderson.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}