Shropshire Climate Action: Renewable Energy in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Renewable energy production in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Read information about the potential renewable energy capacity across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and why we support solar farms and roof top solar Read the Shropshire Renewable Energy Opportunity Map report (Full .pdf -100Mb) Browse the Renewable Energy maps via Shropshire Council's website Renewable Energy Mapping for Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin How much renewable energy potential is there in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin? Where is it, and how could it impact the local economy? What future infrastructure will be needed to support the journey towards net zero carbon Shropshire by 2030? Shropshire Council funded Zero Carbon Shropshire to explore these questions in 2021. The mapping exercise looked at where the opportunities are for ground-mounted solar and wind farm development in Shropshire and the associated grid constraints and opportunities, to help plan for the development of the local energy industry for decarbonising residential, industrial and other energy use. The series of on-line maps show the siting possibilities of such infrastructure with the aim of helping inform planning decisions to provide a strategic approach to energy development in Shropshire and to promote the development of the local energy industry. Watch the webinar discussing the report and maps recorded on the 20 October 2021. The Benefits of Solar Farms The whole world is undergoing an enormous and rapid change in the way it gets its energy, moving away from burning fossil fuels to cleaner, renewable sources such as wind and solar. While climate change is the main driver, political and economic instability in the gas and oil markets are also becoming important factors. We make the case below about the benefits of solar farms as an important part of the UK’s future energy mix. What about coal, oil and gas? They’ve served us well for two hundred years We cannot depend on fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) in the long-term as they: give off greenhouse gases which are changing the earth’s climate, leading to long-term problems for humans and nature are highly polluting, which is damaging to human health and nature are a finite resource and are becoming too expensive, so more and more people cannot afford them, leading to fuel poverty What about hydrogen? Hydrogen gives off only water when burned and can be used as a direct replacement for most fossil fuel uses. The big problem with hydrogen is there isn’t enough that’s easy to get at and naturally occurring to meet our needs, meaning we’ll have to make it. Hydrogen can be made from water but it takes a lot of energy, which we’d either have to get from burning fossil fuels or from renewables. Using hydrogen, therefore, could meet some of our energy needs but only if we also fully commit to renewables like wind, solar and the rest. Haven’t you forgotten biomass? Biomass means stuff that grows or waste from stuff that grows, such as trees, animal manure and food waste, all of which can be burned or converted to bio-gas using anaerobic digestion which can then be burned to generate energy. Biomass is considered a renewable because other living things can grow to replace what has been used. However, unlike other renewables, biomass gives off greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming. Although making ‘new’ biomass will re-absorb the carbon release in burning the previous material, this takes time – think how long it takes for trees to grow. So biomass, can only ever be a partial fix to the UK energy mix problem. The National Grid: wind versus solar - generating electricity where it's needed The National Grid has been designed to carry electricity from power stations to where it is used. Changing where we generate our electricity from in-shore power stations to large offshore wind farms bringing their power ashore at a small number of places will place impossible loads on the National Grid, meaning we will have to redesign it at great cost to consumers. Solar farms and rooftop solar can be installed much closer to where the energy is needed which means much less re-design work for the National Grid and, therefore, far less cost to the consumer. It is inevitable that local renewable generation and local consumption, possibly linked to local tariff arrangements, will form part of the UK electricity landscape in the future. Is it true that land cannot be returned to agriculture at the end of the lifetime of a solar farm? No, this is not true. A solar farm leaves no permanent effect on land. It can be removed in a few days and the site reverted back to whatever use it previously had or an alternative. In a couple of years it would be impossible to tell that a solar farm had ever been there. While it is in place, the soil also has a chance to improve its own micro-structures and fauna if it is not being used for intensive agriculture. This is not the case with a power station – think about all the ‘brown field’ sites that we have to spend money on in order to clean up and re-use. I have heard that solar panels contain lead and that this can enter the environment – is this true? Like all electronic apparatus solar panels and control systems contain lead (in the solder used to make electrical connections) and other rare metals. These cannot leave the device when in use, but the equipment must be disposed of properly at the end of its use, either by re-use elsewhere or by proper re-cycling. The elements that can be recovered are of value (many are scarce) so there is a strong financial as well as legislative imperative to recover these. Given that these installations may have lifetimes of 30 or 40 years, the need for this recovery will increase into the future. Already, the scrap value of ‘old’ consumer electronics from your local recycling centre has increased several-fold. The alternatives to fossil fuels include renewables The most obvious alternative sources of energy that do not give off greenhouse gases are: Renewables (wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, wave and tidal) Nuclear Hydrogen Renewables can be used for most things we currently use fossil fuels for and are endlessly available – the wind is always blowing somewhere, the sun is shining, rivers are flowing, waves are forming in the sea and the Earth’s core is generating heat. What about nuclear? While we can perhaps use nuclear as part of our future energy mix, we cannot rely on it as a replacement for fossil fuels. This is because existing nuclear power stations are nearing the end of their useful lives and new ones take a very long time to build, are hugely expensive and present significant risks. We still don’t have a good way of safely dealing with nuclear waste. Why can’t we rely solely on offshore wind farms? In the UK wind farms are now big business and wind turbines are very efficient at converting wind into electricity, so why do we need solar at all? The UK Government has set targets for onshore and offshore wind capacity to be installed by 2030 and 2050. These targets, together with some existing nuclear capacity, do not meet the likely total UK electricity demand. We will therefore need to continue to burn gas to make up the shortfall or turn to other renewable sources such as solar. It therefore makes sense to increase energy generation from all renewable sources. In addition, offshore wind farms aren’t in the best location to provide electricity to all parts of the UK and sometimes the wind doesn’t blow. I hear solar farms are not efficient, so why would we build them? Solar panels are usually between 15 and 22% efficient , meaning they convert 15-22% of the sun’s energy that falls on them to electricity. This is much less than wind turbines at 50%+ or a standard gas boiler at as much as 94% or even a standard car engine at between 60 and 85%. Efficiency is an important consideration if you are dealing with a limited resource. However, wind and solar are free and readily available, whereas gas and petrol have to be found, mined, refined and transported – think of North Sea oil rigs, oil tankers, gas pipes and petrol stations – meaning their efficiency is much less than it may appear. Grazing sheep and bee-keeping on solar farms are token gestures aren’t they? No, this is not ‘tokenism’. During the life time of the solar farm, the land could, for example, be used for livestock grazing or bee-keeping, both of which can generate additional income for the land owner. The presence of bees and other pollinators is a good sign that biodiversity is improving. Or the land could simply be left to lie fallow or managed to encourage wild flowers to grow thereby invigorating nature. All of these possible uses, without pesticide or fertiliser application, will allow the soil fertility and condition to improve and flora and fauna to flourish, increasing the biodiversity and health of the ecosystem. Do solar farms undermine our food security? 60% of our food is imported, land is being taken out of cultivation at a rate of almost 100,000 acres per year, and yields are declining due to the effect of global heating. Can we afford to lose more arable land to the development of solar farms? Economics, consumer habits and expectations are the major drivers of food imports, not the proportion of land used in the UK. The availability of best and most versatile (BMV) land may be more than enough if alternative crop varieties and new forms of growing (hydroponics etc) become commonplace. Moreover, the land used for a solar farm can quickly and completely return to farming use if needed. It is for landowners to decide how they manage and use their land. The idea that good land is somehow ‘poorly used’ if it has a solar farm temporarily sited on it is not the whole story – the reasons for this are far more complex. Many traditional forms of agriculture are not financially sustainable. We should be asking “why do landowners look to solar farms and other schemes as the only viable business for their land?”. Big Solar Co-op installs solar panels on rooftops which are the size of a tennis court or bigger, and where the building has high electricity usage (prior to 2022 prices, at least £20k in electricity bills). See their website to find out more. Or submit information about your site via https://bigsolar.coop/submit-a-site/ for an assessment and response from the local coordinator.

< Back Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin's Climate Conference: a young person's view Sascha Robinson 1 Jun 2024 Includes Dr Sam Hampton's key note speech "Collective action and behaviour change to tackle the climate crisis" On the 18th May, the Climate Conference for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, went ahead at Shrewsbury Town Football Club with over 130 people attending either as interested individuals or representatives of community groups, local businesses and councils. It was an opportunity to inspire and stimulate our communities to address the urgent changes needed to reach net zero. As a member of the Environmental Leadership Program (ELP2) with Shropshire Wildlife Trust, it was amazing to be given the opportunity to support the preparation and running of the event, alongside several other young people. The morning of the conference was kicked off by Dr Sam Hampton,* a climate behaviour expert, who discussed that across the globe, we severely underestimate how many people are interested in making behavioural and lifestyle changes to support the environment. He summarised that galvanising communities for climate action should be a top priority. Following this, myself and other young people shared our own perspective about the space for youth in climate action. It was a great chance for us to feel ourselves heard and to express that we need to be on the forefront of change. Young people no longer want to be a tokenistic addition to climate action. Our involvement in the development of the conference really gave us those opportunities we need to start seeing more of. Panel discussions focusing on the topics Land, Nature, Food and Farming, Transport, Energy and Housing, and the Circular Economy were held for the remainder of the morning. It was clear that the 30-minute times slots simply wouldn’t begin to cover the conversations that unfolded. What stuck with me was the education that needs to take place in all areas of climate action. Learning how to retrofit your own home or developing skills to repair rather buy new may be understood by those involved in climate action. But the main question remained, how can we engage and educate all people? In the afternoon, the delegates split into workshop groups to share ideas and knowledge across a broader 9 aspects of climate action including how to encourage public engagement and collaboration. The workshops were a great success. From speaking to fellow ELP2 facilitators, we concluded that the ideas were plentiful, but putting those ideas in place was where groups found a sticking point. The conference closed with a summary of each workshop’s actions. From here the groups will remain in contact, making the vital steps towards reaching their priority action goals. After an excellent day of brainstorming and collaborating, I can see our future towards net zero looks bright. The conference was organised by Zero Carbon Shropshire, South Shropshire Climate Action and Save Our Shropshire and sponsored by Shropshire Homes and Kier. A short film summarising the conference will be made available soon which we will circulate in a future newsletter. *The presentation slides from Dr Sam Hampton's key note speech " Collective action and behaviour change to tackle the climate crisis" can be read here. Dr Sam Hampton Conference Key Note Speech 18.5.24 .pptx Download PPTX • 11.01MB Previous Next

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Shropshire Climate Action: The Climate Emergency The Climate Emergency Shropshire’s temperature change since 1884 Ed Hawkins, University of Reading; Data: Met Office What is causing the c limate emergency and what are the impacts? Human activity since the industrial revolution has led to increased greenhouse gases (GHGs) which have caused a rapid increase in temperatures that now threatens life on earth. GHGs have increased from natural long-term peaks of 285 ppm (parts per million) to more than 450 ppm since the start of the industrial revolution. G lobal warming is changing the earth’s climate and the impact it has on the earth’s surface, both on land and sea, such as melting of the ice caps and thawing of frozen tundra. Whilst the climate represents atmospheric conditions measured over a long period of time (at least 30-year averages), the weather is our experience of atmospheric conditions at a given point in time. The growth of extreme weather conditions (both in terms of frequency and intensity) is also an indicator of climate change taking place. We’ve also doubled our use of resources and now consume over twice the sustainable resource use limit for life on the planet. The destruction of the natural environment has wiped out more than half of life on Earth since 1970. We’ve lost soils, forests and wetlands that kept CO2 in check, further accelerating global heating. Compared to less developed nations, the footprint of the western world is huge – and the roots of the problem lie here in Shropshire, birthplace of the industrial revolution. How can we respond? Responding to climate change includes two linked processes: Mitigation: r educing GHG emissions (achieving “net zero”) is needed to stop the earth’s atmosphere warming to an extent that irreversible damage may be done to human society and the natural world, ideally (but increasingly unlikely) to less than 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial atmospheric temperatures, and Adaptation: taking measures to address the effects of climate change on human society and Nature is required because climate change is already having an impact, whether via drought, localised flooding, heatwaves or through pests and diseases, affecting our housing and transport infrastructure, food production and the natural environment, and also human health and well-being. Find out what the climate crisis means for Shropshire: How to achieve Zero Carbon Britain Watch this video from the Centre for Alternative Technology which looks at how to achieve Zero Carbon Britain using today’s technology, while helping nature thrive.

< Back Green Shropshire Xchange Chris Deaves 31 Mar 2025 A decade of achievement GSX has now merged with Shropshire Climate Action: we reflect here on the achievements and legacy over more than a decade. A Big Green Gathering was held in Church Stretton in 2012 to launch the new Environmental network, Green Shropshire Xchange (GSX). The main aims were to support actions on Climate change and other issues to protect the environment. GSX joined the board of the Voluntary Community Sector Assembly) as the Environmental Forum and with lottery funds was able to give seed-corn grants to small local projects. Big Green Gatherings were regular events to help campaigners to network GSX contributed to local action on Energy, Transport and Local Food, including setting up an Energy subgroup which worked with the Marches LEP Energy Strategy team, Marches Energy Agency and council climate teams. In 2017 a further lottery fund allowed more grants for projects and also a new website. Big Green Gatherings in the late 20teens resulted in GSX helping to set up Shropshire Against Pointless Plastics. GSX produced a Climate Action Guide to help local people make changes. In 2024 Zero Carbon Shropshire held a Climate Conference and agreed to set up Shropshire Climate Action (SCA) to replace ZCS and SSCA. GSX steering group reviewed their role and agreed to merge with SCA. Thanks to all those who were involved with GSX, especially the chairs over the years: David Currant, Tony Green and Rob Saunders. Previous Next

Energy & Buildings Motivation The UK is committed to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, to address global warming. We have set ourselves an ambitions local target to achieve this by 2030. But, as we've seen, energy prices have increased. We can all benefit by making sure that our homes use as little energy as possible. Liu, Z., Deng, Z., Davis, S.J. et al. Monitoring global carbon emissions in 2021 Nat Rev Earth Environ 3, 217–219 (2022) How can you save? It's best to plan for three stages: Reduce consumption : Short-term fixes that cut your bills immediately and reduce emis sions. Improve efficiency : Investing in increased insulation and energy efficient appliances to get a long-term return. Shift to renewable energy : a combination of low-carbon heating (probably a heat pump), buying energy from a renewable supplier, time shifting to off-peak, and possibly installing solar panels. Advice, assistance and funding Many of the energy-saving measures presented on this site have reasonably short time payback period. If you can afford them they will pay for themselves. ECO 4 grants have been available for those eligible, including people on benefits. The most recent ECO Plus grants will be available to anyone in poorly insulated (EPC D or below) houses in council tax bands A to D. They are not means tested. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides grants of £5,000 towards the installation of a heat pump. Contact your local group or MEA for advice. Meet with an energy advisor. Other on-line resources Energy Saving Trust ...

< Back Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s visit to Bishop’s Castle’s wind turbine public meeting in April Mike Watkins 1 Apr 2023 Lightfoot (members of SSCA 's network) show their support for the development of the Bishop's Castle Heat Network At a public meeting in Bishop’s Castle this month, called to report on the progress of the projected Wind-Turbine-powered Bishop’s Castle’s Community Heat & Wind Network , over 70 people responded to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s request for a show of hands to vote on the authenticity of the climate crisis, the use of on-shore Wind-Turbines as one means of countering it and, specifically, on whether a Wind Turbine should be used for BC’s Community Heat & Wind Network . There was an overwhelmingly positive response to all his questions, with only a few dissenting or undecided. Hugh proffered an opportunity to those unconvinced or unsure to join his team to visit and learn from other renewable energy projects that will be covered as part of the Channel 4 documentary, which is to be screened in the autumn. The Heat and Wind network, designed by Sharenergy and Carbon Alternatives with funding from Shropshire & Telford Community Energy , would supply heat from an air-source heat pump powered by a Wind Turbine, which could be pumped to at least 100 houses in the Town as well as the Community College, the SpArC Leisure Centre and Enterprise House. The Heat Network would not be financially viable without the Wind Turbine. The scheme would result in a massive reduction in carbon emissions for the Town – which has an above average carbon footprint, dependent, as it is, on oil and LPG heating - and enable people to get rid of their boilers and oil tanks. A response is awaited from Shropshire Council to a pre-planning application for the Wind Turbine. A FAQs document about the scheme can be accessed via this link . To find out more about the project please e-mail: climateaction@lightfootenterprises.org Previous Next

< Back SSCA's Objection to the North West Relief Road Design Amendments Jane Cullen 10 Mar 2023 Our response to Shropshire Council's NWRR consultation On behalf of South Shropshire Climate Action we are registering our objection to the North West Relief Road, in all its iterations. The planning application will clearly lead to irreversible loss of highly valuable greenfield sites and habitats at a time when nature and many different species are already severely challenged. The NWRR creates further massive issues including the risks to Shrewsbury's water supply, the likelihood of overspend and the resulting financial impact on the whole of the county which will suffer further cuts to other budgets (a county already undergoing £50 million cuts), and the negation of local democracy for example in the overriding of Town Council objections including Shrewsbury Town Council itself. Planning Application 21/00924/EIA embodies a profound contradiction of all current climate mitigation, the contradiction of Shropshire Council's recently announced support for the Climate and Ecology Bill as well as all the work that is going on in the county to educate and help communities face the climate emergency. We also note that the application is presented without scientific analysis of the carbon impact of the lifetime of the road and so appears to be a 'vanity project' running counter to the interests of Shrewsbury and the whole county of Shropshire. Planning Application 21/00924/EIA should be rejected on multiple counts, many not even touched on in this brief objection such as health, public transport and air pollution. Submitted on behalf of South Shropshire Climate Action. Previous Next

< Back Net Zero Progress - How are we doing in Shropshire? David Matthews 3 Feb 2025 Report on progress in Shropshire county We often get questions about whether the county is making progress on reducing its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. While GHG savings can be measured for, say, a household or an organisation (using carbon footprinting tools), and there are some general estimates available of the impacts of particular actions (e.g. not driving a petrol car) based on academic research, there is no easy way of calculating a figure for the county bottom-up. However, we can use the data provided by the Department for Energy and Net Zero which are calculated top-down, with Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin apportioned a percentage of the UK emissions based on their geography and characteristics. The progress chart for Green House Gas emissions for Shropshire, Telford& Wrekin displayed (the government reports can be found here . To keep within our carbon budget and to around 1.5C of warming, we need to get to an average of approximately 2.5t per individual in the UK by 2030 so are not currently on track to do that. The Centre for Sustainable Energy and Exeter University have created a very useful data visualisation tool, Impact, which allows you to look at household emissions within geographical boundaries (parishes, local authority areas, etc). For more details, see: Impact Previous Next

< Back Shropshire Council's plans for the North West Relief Road (NWRR) continue Fiona Morgan 1 Mar 2023 End the de facto ban on on-shore wind Shropshire Council has submitted 100 new planning documents for the NWRR to try and allay some of the concerns raised by statutory consultees such as the Environment Agency and Natural England in response to the first planning application (2021). However, according to Better Shrewsbury Transport, the revisions do not address any of the fundamental issues with the road which includes the destruction of wildlife habitat including ancient trees and vital hedgerows and the production of at least 50,000 tonnes of carbon. Moreover the revisions have increased the total area of land affected by the road by 40%. Shropshire Council is planning to spend at least £87 million, plus an unlimited overspend on constructing the NWRR. This is despite a recent Shropshire Council budget consultation asking for views on how to make £50 million in savings. A new round of public consultation is open if you wish to comment on the revised NWRR plans: you can email planning.northern@shropshire.gov.uk using the planning application reference no. 21/00924/EIA in the Subject and make sure you include your name and address or comment via the Shropshire Council Planning portal or use the online form found on the Road To Ruin Shropshire website The deadline for comments is 11 March 2023. However, Better Shrewsbury Transport hope that emails will be taken into account until the planning officers submit their report in May 2023. For more information about the history of the road and campaign please see the Better Shrewsbury Transport website. Meanwhile in Wales.... The Welsh Government following the review of their National Transport Plan has made the decision to scrap all major road building projects in Wales and ensure all future roads must pass a strict criteria including that they must not increase carbon emissions. Read the full article by Teleri Glyn Jones in the BBC online (published 14/2/23) here . Previous Next

Shropshire Climate Action: Taking action Taking action! The impacts of the climate crisis will affect everyone living on the planet The scale of action required can feel overwhelming. “Climate doom” is where we don’t take action because we think it’s a problem we can’t solve, compared with “climate denial”, where we don’t take action because we don’t think there is a problem. However, although politicians, businesses and other institutions have a critical role to play, it is important to realise that we can all take meaningful action. The more each of us does, the more impact it will have. This website shows what can be done at home and work, by individuals, communities and councils, to reduce carbon emissions and protect nature. Individual choices Green Your Money Community actions Town & Parish Councils Schools & Youth Groups Local businesses Local Lobbying Eco anxiety