Areas for action - Industry and commercial

Working with businesses and industries to reduce their emissions

Businesses across the borough help to drive the area’s productivity, employment and quality of life. Our larger industrial businesses are key local employers and an important part of the community; however, they also generate significant carbon emissions.

Emissions from industry make up the largest proportion of overall emissions in the borough. However, in recent years, they have fallen at a quicker pace compared to other sectors, reflecting the efforts the sector is making.

We intend to work with businesses of all sizes to support their sustainable move to net zero, while maintaining existing jobs and creating new ones in green industries across the borough. This will support the area’s aim to create sustainable and inclusive growth.

More information on this area for action can be found in the draft Plan on page X.

Proposed outcomes we'd like to see by 2030 if we manged to reduce emissions from the business and industry sector:

Please note, these are borough-wide outcomes, and as well as requiring action from the Council, they will also depend on the action of a wide range of people and organisations, including residents.

• O10: Cheshire West and the ORIGIN area (centred around Ellesmere Port, and the industries located there) are recognised as a world leading example of industrial decarbonisation.
  
  
• O11: Businesses are energy efficient, maximising green economy growth, local social value and economic value.
  
  
• O12: Industrial emissions are avoided, reduced, and mitigated to the fullest extent possible, and residual emissions are captured.
  
  
• O13: West Cheshire develops a skilled work force to deliver the transition to net zero, with climate change awareness embedded in organisational cultures.
  
  
• O14: The electricity grid is fit for purpose and is informed by the future plans of industrial and commercial businesses, alongside wider stakeholders.
  
  
• O15: Heat demand from the business and industry within west Cheshire is reduced and decarbonised as far as possible.
  
  
• O16: Where energy is generated from combustion processes, emissions are minimised, and any residual emissions are captured and stored

To achieve these outcomes for industry and commercial, the Council proposes to take the following action:

• A9: Support and provide a local governance role to major industrial decarbonisation programmes ensuring they are understood by local communities, and that local people and communities benefit from the projects. The Council’s role in these programmes will help to ensure that local people benefit from the investment happening in the area, in the form of jobs and opportunity.
  
  
• A10: Support the ORIGIN business forum, which brings together industrial partners, to help Cheshire West and Chester stays focused on becoming a net zero borough by 2045.
  
  
• A11: Support the business improvement districts (BID) throughout the borough, ensuring that we keep a focus on our goal of becoming a net zero borough by 2045.
  
  
• A12: Support wider industry and businesses to reduce emissions from their operations, and seek funding through mechanisms such as UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Innovate UK funding Streams.
  
  
• A13: Work with Public Sector Partners to use key infrastructure more efficiently, such as by exploring whether we can share heat between public sector buildings.
  
  
• A14: Advocate with political representatives the key strengths of the borough and its opportunities in the green growth and the low carbon economy.
  
  
• A15: Engage with industry and education providers to deliver a viable workforce for the transition to net zero – to ensure that as many benefits of investment as possible are felt locally, in our communities.
  
  
• A16: Support the role out of fast efficient digital infrastructure (such as broadband connectivity) to all areas of the borough.
  
  
• A17: Continue to lead by example in the decarbonisation of the Council’s estates and services.