Issue - meetings

Recommendation OS 24/11 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee of 25 January 2024.

Consideration was given to recommendation OS 24/11 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee of 25 January 2024 in respect of the progress being made towards Carbon Neutral 2030.

Cabinet had due regard to the views of the Scrutiny Select Committee, the financial and value for money considerations and legal implications and recognised that whilst good progress had initially been made by the Borough Council in reducing emissions the total emissions from the organisations estate and operations were no longer reducing.  The difficulties associated with achieving carbon neutral by 2030 were also recognised.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)         climate change be included as a mandatory heading for all Committee and Scrutiny Select Committee report templates (as set out in 1.3.5 to 1.3.8);

(2)         an assessment of the potential of each Directorate and Portfolio to contribute to achieving carbon neutral by 2030 should be carried out (as set out in 1.3.9 and 1.3.10);

(3)         the 2024/25 climate change action plan be prepared with significant further ambition and new commitments (as set out in 1.3.11); and

(4)         the corporate climate change function support teams in the delivery of recommended actions.

(Decision Notice D240022CAB)

Consideration was given to recommendation OS 24/11 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee of 25 January 2024 in respect of the progress being made towards Carbon Neutral 2030.

Cabinet had due regard to the views of the Scrutiny Select Committee, the financial and value for money considerations and legal implications and recognised that whilst good progress had initially been made by the Borough Council in reducing emissions the total emissions from the organisations estate and operations were no longer reducing.  The difficulties associated with achieving carbon neutral by 2030 were also recognised.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)         climate change be included as a mandatory heading for all Committee and Scrutiny Select Committee report templates (as set out in 1.3.5 to 1.3.8);

(2)         an assessment of the potential of each Directorate and Portfolio to contribute to achieving carbon neutral by 2030 should be carried out (as set out in 1.3.9 and 1.3.10);

(3)         the 2024/25 climate change action plan be prepared with significant further ambition and new commitments (as set out in 1.3.11); and

(4)         the corporate climate change function support teams in the delivery of recommended actions.

To provide a gap analysis of progress towards carbon neutral by 2030 and present options that put ‘recognising climate change as a corporate priority’ into practice.

The report of the Interim Chief Executive provided a gap analysis of progress being made towards carbon neutral by 2030. A number of actions that put ‘recognising climate change as a corporate priority’  were recommended and these were detailed in 1.3 of the report.

Good progress had been made by the Borough Council in reducing emissions and some of these had been sustained into 2023.  However, the 2022/23 carbon audit found that total emissions from the organisations estate and operations were no longer reducing and grew slightly between 2021/22 and 2022/23.  This evidence suggested that the Borough Council was at the end of easy win emissions reduction measures.

Members recognised the difficulties associated with achieving carbon neutral by 2030 and expressed concern that there was no clear pathway for the Borough Council identified.  There was in-depth discussion around carbon offsetting, the emissions arising from the leisure centres and whether a fundamental review of the Borough Councils assets was beneficial.   However, the importance of educating, influencing and raising awareness in respect of climate change was also recognised.

RECOMMENDED*:  That

(1)             climate change be included as a mandatory heading for all Committee and Scrutiny Select Committee report templates (as set out in 1.3.5 to 1.3.8);

(2)             an assessment of the potential of each Directorate and Portfolio to contribute to achieving carbon neutral by 2030 should be carried out (as set out 1.3.9 and 1.3.10);

(3)             the 2024/25 climate change action plan be prepared with significant further ambition and new commitments (as set out in 1.3.11); and

(4)             the corporate climate change function support teams in the delivery of recommended actions.

*Recommended to Cabinet