Footnotes

1. Buildings (existing and new)

Among the existing buildings of Manchester’s landscape, little work has been done to ‘retrofit’ them for modern, sustainable use – in part because it is expensive to do so and there is a learning curve to make the transition simpler across training for workers, supply demands, and creating “incentives and business models” to sell the idea of retrofitting across all property owners (Manchester Climate Change Framework, 2020, p. 24). Manchester City Council is determined to work with the UK government to retrofit existing buildings so they come as close to zero carbon emissions as possible. It is proposed this project is possible by increasing the city’s “energy efficiency and generating renewable energy on-site” (Ibid, p. 24). As for new buildings, it is key for developments to work within Manchester’s “carbon budgets”, requiring them to be constructed and operated within a zero carbon framework immediately, designed and implemented by the UK government itself (Ibid, p. 24).

2. Renewable Energy

New sources of renewable energy are needed throughout Manchester, of which many have been proposed by Manchester’s City Council. On their list, the city plans to increase renewable energy creation to ensure self-sustained energy from within the Manchester, improve the energy efficiency of buildings, replace heating with renewable-energy based systems, and work with the UK government to ensure renewable energy is kept at an accessible, affordable cost (Manchester Climate Change Framework, 2020, p. 25)

3. Transport and flying

Many viable alternatives have been proposed to enforce sustainable habits across modes of transportation and in the city’s infrastructure itself to encourage eco-friendly behaviours. These alternatives include designing routes for pedestrians, enhance the quality of public transport – “capacity, frequency, reliability, affordability and accessibility of our buses, trams and trains” – so people are motivated to use those systems, incentivizing private vehicle use to electric modes of transport, expanding railroad access across cities inside and outside the UK, and spreading awareness on the importance of sustainable flying habits to minimise emissions via air travel (Manchester Climate Change Framwork, 2020. p. 26).

4. Food

In order for sustainable food markets to survive in Manchester’s vision as an eco-friendly city, carbon needs to be recycled “as a means to increase fertility, soil health, water availability and ultimately, food security” (Manchester Climate Change Framework, 2020, p. 26). The City Council has proposed changes to steps from beginning to end of agricultural production, from planting to preparation, and public consumption, from eating to wasting. It is essential that individuals, families, businesses, and cities are made aware of their responsibilities when buying/selling or cooking food, all of which should be in support of local industry.

5. The things we buy and throw away

It is very easy to assume that once waste is thrown away, it disappears permanently. Unfortunately, there are aspects of disposal beyond our ability to see that nonetheless impact people directly. That is why Manchester is attempting to reduce its carbon footprint among spaces dedicated to disposal through further changes in people’s habits, including the importance of buying less, buying quality and local goods, and repairing and/or recycling items to “extend the life of products” (Manchester Climate Change Framework, 2020, p. 27).

6. Green infrastructure and nature based solutions

If Manchester wishes to adopt environment conscious practices, it must adapt to the needs of nature. This includes the development of green spaces throughout the city to not only promote community health benefits, but to help reduce carbon emissions, mitigate heat and/or flood damage, and promote biodiversity in the surrounding urban landscape (Manchester Climate Change Framework, 2020, p.27).

7. Supporting and enabling residents and organisations to act

In order for sustainability to become an achievable goal for Manchester, the city’s residents must be made aware of their role in protecting the local environment and how important it is, not just for the sake of Manchester but the entire world, to implement sustainable thinking. Many steps have already been taken on the individual and governmental levels, but more can be done to disseminate this knowledge to a wider audience. This goal is attainable through each of the aforementioned factors, of which the common thread revolves around changes in approach to current and future infrastructure, encouragement for inclusion of green space, and a connection across communities, especially children and people in academic spaces, to ensure support of and contributions towards efforts by the City Council (Manchester Climate Change Framework, 2020, p.31).