Greater Manchester Combined Authority has adopted eleven LAEPs: one for the overall area and one for each district of Greater Manchester as part of its plans for Manchester to transition to carbon neutrality by 2038.
The plan is ambitious and comprehensive, setting goals over the next five years for home insulation improvements, the build out of solar solutions for both residential and commercial properties, the installation of heat pumps and the continuing roll-out of EVs, together with the provision of the necessary charging and energy storage solutions to support this roll-out. It also seeks to set out certain of the key questions which needs to be answered as the region continues its transition over the next 20 years.
The focus within the LAEPs on insulation may attract particular attention in the current climate, with the cost of energy crisis and supply concerns driven by the war in Ukraine continuing to top many agendas, even if the envisaged changes will not be implemented in time to have any material impact during this winter cycle.
While it is early days for the implementation of the Great Manchester Combined Authority’s LAEPs, we expect that this may represent the beginnings of a trend whereby other regional centres within the UK will follow suit and begin to clearly articulate their roadmaps towards carbon neutrality.
