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Devon Climate Emergency | December 2022
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 There are many actions already taking place across Devon that are successfully reducing greenhouse gas emissions and implementing the Devon Carbon Plan. Here are our picks for the month!
You can see more positive actions and stay updated throughout the month by visiting the Taking Action page on our website.
Please note that this will be our last newsletter of 2022, with a new edition in mid-January. Happy Holidays!
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Decarbonise Devon was launched last month by EPConnect, with support from Devon County Council's (DCC) Green Innovation Fund. This "one stop shop" will help Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to implement energy saving measures.
Specialised energy audits will provide guidance on reducing carbon emissions and energy costs. This could include using technologies like solar panels, efficient lighting, heating upgrades and insulation.
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Devon County Council have submitted a Strategic Outline Business Case for the reopening of the Tavistock to Plymouth rail line to the Government’s Restoring Your Railway programme.
The reopening would reinstate around five miles of track and open a new single platform station in Tavistock. It is estimated that annual passenger demand at the station would be 394,000 passengers a year, and serve the 21,000 residents of Tavistock, Horrabridge, Lamerton, and Mary Tavy.
More rail travel will reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality by easing traffic congestion in the area.
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Audrey Compton, creator of the Teignbridge Wildlife Warden Scheme, has won BBC Radio Devon’s ‘Make a Difference’ Environment Award 2022.
The scheme was set up under the umbrella of Action on Climate in Teignbridge (ACT) in 2020 with the aim of finding volunteers in each of the 53 Teignbridge parishes keen to help wildlife survive and thrive in their communities.
There are now 94 Wildlife Wardens working in 37 parishes. Wardens work on a variety of projects including writing for parish magazines, assessing water quality, working with the Devon Biodiversity Records Centre and more.
ACT also provide guidance for other communities wanting to set up a Wildlife Warden Scheme.
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A new website, 'Climate Connections Plymouth', is now live and ready to support climate action in the city.
The website will offer a central place for people to share and access news on Plymouth's journey to net-zero carbon emissions. It features a section for residents and organisations to learn about climate change, information about activities going on in the area and resources to inform and inspire steps towards net-zero.
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Mid Devon District Council has launched a public consultation on a new Planning Policy Statement about the climate emergency.
The Planning Policy Statement package includes 3 key resources:
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Net Zero Carbon Toolkit. Best practice guidance for achieving net zero buildings.
- Mid Devon's Net Zero Housing Assessment Tool. A free calculator for comparing the costs and benefits of ‘low carbon’ standards for new homes.
- A new planning applications checklist to help evaluate how proposals address the climate emergency and interlinked environmental issues.
You can submit your views until Friday 16th December, and comments will be carefully considered as the Planning Policy Statement is finalised.
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During National Tree Week in November, Devon County Council delivered 150 tree packs to private landowners, each pack containing 45 native broadleaved whips. This has been funded through DCC’s Emergency Tree Fund and will mark the first 6750 trees planted this season (2022-2023).
The Emergency Tree Fund Project has plans to plant an additional 10,000 trees this season, predominantly on the County Farms Estate, through volunteer planting events.
In March, if all goes to plan, DCC will have planted approximately 25,000 trees through the first two seasons of the Emergency Tree Fund project.
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Devon County Council are looking for volunteers to plant native trees under The Woodland Trust‘s Emergency Tree Fund with ParkLife SW. The planting schemes aim to increase biodiversity, replace the loss of trees through ash dieback and capture carbon.
If you’d like to get stuck in with some practical, outdoor work that supports nature and climate resilience, please fill out the form below and DCC will send you a timetable of volunteer tree planting events for this season and in the future. DCC would love your help!
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The decarbonisation of transport is a crucial part of DCC’s response to the climate emergency. The transition to zero emission vehicles, as well as a shift to public transport and active travel, are vital to achieving Devon's goal of 50% emission reduction by 2030 and net-zero by 2050, which is why DCC have developed the Devon Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy. The Devon EV Charging Strategy aims to help all residents and visitors overcome some of the barriers to EV adoption and increase access to suitable infrastructure.
The EV charging strategy will form part of a suite of documents that will feed into the emerging Local Transport Plan 4. The Strategy will also be instrumental in leveraging funding from Government for new electric charging infrastructure.
Devon County Council are holding a public consultation to collect the views of the public, local businesses and wider stakeholders on the Strategy between 9th November 2022 – 16th December 2022. Have your say by completing the consultation questionnaire online at the link below.
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Environmental consultants RSK continue to work with the Climate Impacts Group (CIG) on the development of an Adaptation Plan.
The Adaptation Plan is intended to help communities across the Southwest to better understand the risks their area might face in future, as climate change increasingly affects the UK. It will also help them to adapt to these changes, by identifying the parties responsible for ensuring community safety.
Having previously identified and scored impacts for magnitude and urgency across four themes with the CIG, workshops in November captured potential adaptation options and actions.
Case studies are also being collected to illustrate the Adaptation Plan. The Adaptation Plan is expected to be completed by January 2023 for public consultation in early spring.
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Devon Climate Emergency attended the Low Carbon Devon Showcase earlier this month alongside over 120 people representing businesses across Devon, who came together to share practical stories and action towards net-zero.
One workshop guided attendees in discussing how businesses can contribute to creating a net-zero Devon, with prompts from the Devon Carbon Plan. We hope the thought-provoking discussions spurred new ideas and collaborations.
The three-year £2.6 million Low Carbon Devon programme supports Devon-based organisations to access research, business support, and engage with the University of Plymouth around the low-carbon agenda.
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The Devon Carbon Plan - the roadmap for how Devon will reach net-zero emissions by 2050 (at the latest) - was published on our website earlier this year.
If you missed our webinar in September, you can now view it on our YouTube channel, with captions included.
The webinar explains:
- The Plan's development
- Where to access the Plan
- How to get the most out of it
- How it will be implemented
- How anyone can get involved with creating a net-zero Devon
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 The commissioned artists are on their way to complete their Net Zero Visions. Each Vision will be a community's imagining of a low-carbon future for their local area, with changes such as retrofitting buildings, decarbonising transport, and re-thinking food production, waste, and energy supply.
The Visions are being created in a range of wild and wonderful mediums including animation, illustration, and even interactive games. Keep an eye out for publicly displayed Visions, like murals, being painted in your local community!
As part of the project, a ‘Vision’ of Tiverton as net-zero in 2050 has been completed and is on display near the Tiverton Pannier Market.
The mural has been designed and painted by commissioned creative Kate Crawfurd as one of many Visions of what a future net-zero Devon could look like. It features sustainable ways of living including renewable energy solutions, eco-homes, sustainable travel, local produce and farming.
This Vision and the other murals have AR experiences that can be accessed on-site. Scan the QR code with your phone camera to watch the murals come to life. The QR code will also give you the chance to fill out a survey, and we'd love to hear your feedback.
The Net Zero Visions mural in Tiverton.
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 Find out about upcoming events across Devon below.
Look to the Past, Step into the Future - A Talk With Nicola Peel; The Globe Inn, 9 High Street, Chagford, TQ13 8AJ; Friday 9th December, 7:30pm – 9:30pm
This upcoming talk from award-winning solutionist, environmentalist and speaker Nicola Peel will discuss what we can learn from the indigenous people to help us thrive in our own communities. There will also be live music beforehand and time for a Q&A after the talk.
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Yeo Valley Woodland Tree Planting; Yeo Valley Community Woodland, Barnstaple; Throughout December and January, 10:00am – 3:00pm
Several opportunities for volunteers to plant trees at Yeo Valley Woodland are taking place over the next two months. Upcoming days for December include:
- Sunday 11th December
- Thursday 22nd December
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Free Tree Hub; Pavillion Car Park, Generals Lane, Starcross, EX6 8PA; Sunday 11th December, 2:00pm onwards
As part of the Saving Devon's Treescapes project the Devon Wildlife Trust are giving away free trees for people to plant in their gardens. The Tree Hubs aim to combat the threat to trees from Ash Dieback, which is estimated to kill at least 90% of Devon’s ash trees in the coming years.
You will be able to collect between 1-5 free trees along with protection and a free planting and aftercare guide. The trees will all be cell grown UK broadleaf species and will need to be planted within a few days of collection.
More Free Tree Hubs will be taking place in January. Click here for the full list of days and locations.
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Tree Planting In Exeter; New Haven Field, next to the allotments, Exeter, EX2 4JS; Tuesday 13th December
Two community tree planting events are taking place at Exeter Quay, where locals are welcome to join staff from Exeter City Council to plant 450 trees as part of the Saving Devon's Treescapes initiative.
Participants can sign up for a 10am morning session or 1pm afternoon session.
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 Devon Climate Emergency
County Hall, Topsham Road
Exeter, Devon EX2 4QD
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