Issue - meetings

Annual reporting of progress against the climate change action plan 2024/25, to seek approval for the climate change action plan for 2025/26, and to report council emissions in the annual carbon audit.

(Report of Chief Executive)

Member approval was sought for the publication of the Climate Change Action Plan Year 5 Progress Report; the Climate Change Action Plan Year 6 2025/26; and the Carbon Audit 2024/25 (attached as Annexes 1, 2 and 3 respectively).

The report summarised progress to date, the new action plan and trends in emissions from the Borough Council’s estate and operations.  The progress made against the Climate Change Action Plan across all areas in 2024/25 was good, with most actions either fully complete or ongoing due to the continuous nature of the work.  The most significant sources of emissions across the TMBC estate and operations remained leisure facilities and refuse collection vehicles.  Addressing these would make the largest impact towards the 2030 carbon neutral aspiration.

In the next year, the Council would continue to invest in renewable and low carbon technologies, part funded by grants awarded to the Council, to tackle emissions from leisure facilities.  Furthermore, the new waste contract would offer an opportunity to take steps to reduce emissions from refuse collection vehicles. 

Following consideration by the Communities and Environment Scrutiny Select Committee, the Cabinet Member for Housing, Environment and Economy

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the Climate Change Action Plan Year 5 Progress Report (attached at Annex 1), be endorsed;

(2)      the Climate Change Action Plan Year 6 2025/26 (attached at Annex 2), be approved; and

(3)      the Carbon Audit 2024/25 (attached at Annex 3), be approved.

(Decision Notice: D250087MEM)

The Council had committed to producing annual climate change action plans and publishing its greenhouse gas emissions (Carbon Audits) to track progress towards the Council’s carbon neutral by 2030 aspiration.  The report summarised progress achieved to date, the new action plan and trends in emissions from the Council’s estate and operations.  A progress report for the Climate Change Action Plan Year 5 (2024/25), a Climate Change Action Plan Year 6 (2025/26) and the Carbon Audit for emissions in 2024/25 were attached respectively at Annexes 1, 2 and 3 to the report.

In terms of progress, most actions from the current year’s Climate Change Action Plan were either complete or ongoing and the draft Action Plan for 2025-26 continued existing work and introduced new projects, subject to available funding.  Members were made aware that the withdrawal of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund posed a challenge, however the Council would monitor and pursue alternative funding opportunities. 

Whilst recognising that some increases in emissions were attributed to changes in building use and more accurate reporting rather than significant increases in activity, it was noted that the most significant sources of emissions across the TMBC estate and operations remained leisure facilities and refuse collection vehicles and addressing these would make the largest impact towards the 2030 carbon neutral aspiration.  In the next year, the Council would continue to invest in renewable and low carbon technologies, part funded by grants awarded to the Council, to tackle emissions from leisure facilities.  Furthermore, the new waste contract would offer an opportunity to take steps to reduce emissions from refuse collection.

During discussion, concern was raised regarding recycling at events, in particular contamination and the need to put the onus on the event organisers to ensure cross contamination did not occur.

Annual monitoring and reporting were essential for tracking progress towards the Council’s environmental goals and ensuring accountability on the journey to carbon neutrality by 2030 and Members indicated that they would welcome an annual report on climate change monitoring. 

Finally, due regard was given to the finance and value for money considerations and the risk assessment outlined in the report.

It was proposed by Councillor Hudson (Chair), seconded by Councillor Lark and the Communities and Environment Scrutiny Select Committee

RECOMMENDED*: That the publication of the Climate Change Action Plan Year 5 Progress Report, the Climate Change Action Plan Year 6 2025/2 and the Carbon Audit 2024/25, be approved.

*Decision taken by Cabinet Member for Housing, Environment and Economy