Annual Delivery Plan 2024 - 2025

We are committed to tackling climate change and biodiversity loss to ensure that Belfast can be a place where people and nature thrive together. To deliver a sustainable city we will work with our residents and industries to reduce their carbon footprints. We will also lead the way in providing global green solutions by leveraging our unique market access and international networks to become a hub for low carbon design and manufacturing. We will work to support our industries to thrive on all the opportunities in the green economy whilst creating a much cleaner environment. We will lead by example, embedding a climate aware approach into every aspect of our work, minimising the impact we have and planning for a sustainable future throughout the entire council and beyond.

To support our planet in 2024-25 we will:

Re-naturing the city and increasing resilience to climate change

Actions

1. Improve and restore woodland by delivering year two of the Belfast Tree Strategy and Action Plan**; working with our city partners to identify areas for woodland improvement and establishment, increased tree canopy cover, hedgerow establishment, and tree stewardship to support greater tree equity and climate resilience across the city. 
2. Create a demonstrator site in Botanic Gardens to test nature-based solutions through the Horizon 2020 EU ‘UPSURGE’ Project**
3. Commence work on developing a Local Biodiversity Action Plan to set out our approach to address threatened species and habitats and protect and restore biological systems.
4. Commence work on developing a herbicide reduction policy to outline our commitment to reduce the use and reliance on herbicides across the council estate, in line with best practice regarding weed control and land management.
5. Continue to deliver the Council’s Air Quality Action Plan 2021-2026 to reduce NO2 emissions from transport sources and to promote and enable a shift towards a more sustainable modes of transport.
6. Integrate flood risk scores identified in the CCRA into the BCC Asset Management system and utilise to identify areas for more detailed Flood Risk Assessments on priority sites/buildings and new developments (CAP 6.2).

Creating a sustainable circular economy

Actions

7. Establish LAEP Delivery Group and start to deliver the Belfast Local Area Energy Plan through the Net Zero Belfast Pathfinder project**
8. Develop a neighbourhood retrofit approach through the Belfast Retrofit Delivery Hub in the UP2030 area which is informed by a series of retrofit assessments on a sample of properties.
9. Promote access to sustainable and healthy food for all through the development of a Belfast Sustainable Food Strategy and enabling community-based approaches to sustainable food** (CAP1.14)
10. Implement the recently adopted single use plastics policy for the Council.
11. Undertake a waste compositional study to support the reporting and tracking of internal Council generated waste (CAP 4.7)
12. Improve recycling and reuse of resources.
13. Deliver an effective waste management service across the city**
14. Promote and educate young people on the reduce, reuse, and recycle message to improve environmental awareness on waste management**
15. Develop the Net Zero Fleet Replacement Strategy and agree council approach to transition to an alternative (non-fossil) fuel.
16. Continue to deliver the Fleet Replacement Programme gradually replacing existing old fleet with new low emission vehicles.
17. Progress capital projects related to Waste Plan Programme including the new kerbside collection system, wheelie box initiatives, and expansion of glass collection schemes.
18. Operationalise the Low Emissions Vehicle Strategy Phase 1 and Phase 2
19. Explore opportunities for surplus land to be made available for potential partnership or disposal to third sector organisations where climate mitigation and adaptation goals are being observed e.g. for community growing, urban agriculture, energy production, carbon sequestration (CAP 1.4)
20. Complete energy audits on four high energy consuming Council buildings to inform a retrofit programme of work (CAP 2.2A)
21. Review and assess the potential to switch to renewable and low-carbon energy use through Corporate Power Purchase Agreements and Gas Purchase Agreements (CAP 2.12)
22. Continue to deliver UP2030 Net Zero Neighbourhoods to identify opportunities and a framework for rolling out the concept of Net Nero areas throughout the city.
23. Embed net-zero in urban planning by progressing the Horizon Europe funded UP2030 project**

Innovating to net-zero

Actions

24. Finalise and seek approval for the Climate Action Plan and continue to mainstream net zero and climate resilience considerations across all Council programmes of work**
25. Develop a climate data platform for climate risks and climate adaptation and mitigation actions. (CAP 1.7)
26. Integrate data collection systems related to Council related CO2e emissions. (CAP 1.6)
27. Expand scope of Green House Gas emission data collection and reporting for scope 3. (CAP 1.1)

We will know we are successful if:

*Statutory performance indicators.

**Performance Improvement Plan actions and performance indicators.