Issue - meetings

This report presents the fourth annual update to Cabinet on progress towards commitments made in the BCP Council Climate and Ecological Emergency Declaration, made on the 16^th of July 2019.

Given the urgency of the climate crisis the Council remains committed to achieving its strategic objectives by the deadlines, ahead of national targets.

The Council recognises that whilst this report is focused on reporting progress made during 2022-23 under the previous administration, changes need to be made if we are to stay on track to meet our ambitious targets.

In addition, the Council also acknowledges the significant lack of national progress in areas such as grid policy and technology adoption; alongside external factors such as the disruption of international supply chains and global inflation, the Council recognises the scale of the challenge and the significant resource required to achieve its ambition.

Evidence of global and local effects of accelerating climate changes are becoming manifest, and this needs a focus also on mitigation to prepare our area for more extreme weather events.

2022-23 progress, a period under the previous administration, in summary:

·       Make BCP Council and its operations carbon neutral by 2030 - progress continues to be made, with scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions reduced by 9.9% from the 2019 baseline

·       Work with the wider community to make the region carbon neutral before the UK target of 2050 – according to most recent data total area-wide emissions for 2022-23 have reduced by 8.3% from the 2019 baseline.

In recognition of the urgency to decarbonise, and that progress has not been as rapid as hoped or needed, it is proposed that our priorities during this next reporting period, include clear actions to accelerate progress, interim milestones and funding proposals.

RESOLVED that Cabinet: -

(a)           Noted the Climate Progress Report 2022-23;

(b)           Agreed to join the UK100 initiative and adopt the Net Zero by 2045 pledge thereby clearly defining the previous commitment of ‘before 2050’ for our area-wide target;

(c)           Agreed the proposal to set interim reduction targets for the Council owned estate, specifically the priority emission sources of Council buildings and energy supply. In addition, we will look to establish targets for energy use in homes and road transport reduction in order to validate that both our corporate and area-wide targets are achievable;

(d)           Agreed to look at funding proposals, including ‘invest to save’ and consider a revolving fund for energy improvements in Council-owned buildings and other projects;

(e)           Noted the proposal to establish a Carbon Neutral Steering Group, to bring services together and to find solutions to carbon reduction challenges across the corporate estate;

(f)            Renew our work with external partners to shape and set interim targets towards the area-wide commitment to Net Zero;

(g)           Create interactive dashboards to highlight targets and progress towards the internal and area-wide goals;

(h)           Agree to the delivery of carbon literacy training (with or without accreditation) for officers and members, business and community, which will empower decision making to meet carbon neutral targets and initiatives; and

(i)             Requests officers to explore the benefits and practicalities of an anchor procurement partnership for the BCP area.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Climate Response, Environment and Energy

Reason

This report informs on progress made to date and proposes the next steps of climate actions that the Council will commit to in order to deliver on the ambitions of a carbon neutral Council by 2030 and a carbon neutral region ahead of the UK’s 2050 target.

The Portfolio Holder for Climate Response, Environment and Energy presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'A' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was advised that the report presented the fourth annual update to Cabinet on progress towards commitments made in the BCP Council Climate and Ecological Emergency Declaration, made on the 16^th of July 2019.

Cabinet was informed that given the urgency of the climate crisis the Council remained committed to achieving its strategic objectives by the deadlines, ahead of national targets, and that the Council recognised that whilst the report is focused on reporting progress made during 2022-23 under the previous administration, changes need to be made if we are to stay on track to meet our ambitious targets.

In relation to this Cabinet was advised that in addition, the Council also acknowledged the significant lack of national progress in areas such as grid policy and technology adoption; alongside external factors such as the disruption of international supply chains and global inflation, the Council recognises the scale of the challenge and the significant resource required to achieve its ambition.

Cabinet was informed that evidence of global and local effects of accelerating climate changes are becoming manifest, and that this needed a focus also on mitigation to prepare our area for more extreme weather events.

Cabinet was advised of the progress made in 2022-23, a period under the previous administration, with the following targets:

·        Make BCP Council and its operations carbon neutral by 2030 - progress continues to be made, with scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions reduced by 9.9% from the 2019 baseline

·        Work with the wider community to make the region carbon neutral before the UK target of 2050 – according to most recent data total area-wide emissions for 2022-23 have reduced by 8.3% from the 2019 baseline.

Cabinet was advised that in recognition of the urgency to decarbonise, and whilst recognising that progress had not been as rapid as hoped or needed, it was proposed that our priorities during this next reporting period, include clear actions to accelerate progress, interim milestones and funding proposals.

The Chair of the Environment and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Rigby addressed the Cabinet advising that the Committee at their recent meeting welcomed the report but would have liked more on the planet plan. In addition, Councillor Rigby advised that the Committee had welcomed the Council joining the UK100 and had proposed the following recommendation for consideration by the Cabinet: -

1. For the administration to focus on progressing an ‘anchor procurement partnership’ for the BCP Area.

Voting: Unanimous

The Leader thanked the Environment and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee for their recommendation and opened the item for comments from other members.

A member addressed the Cabinet requesting clarity in terms of the impact on the climate plan should the council be issued with a s114 notice.

In regard to this Cabinet were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 116

Appendix 2 of this report will be accompanied with a verbal update at the meeting to provide further information on the Sustainability Team.

The Portfolio Holder for Climate Response, Environment and Energy presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'A' to these Minutes in the Minute Book. The report presented the fourth annual update to Cabinet on progress towards commitments made in the BCP Council Climate and Ecological Emergency Declaration, made on the 16th of July 2019. Given the urgency of the climate crisis the Council remains committed to achieving its strategic objectives by the deadlines, ahead of national targets. The Council recognises that whilst this report is focused on reporting progress made during 2022-23 under the previous administration, changes need to be made if we are to stay on track to meet our ambitious targets. In addition, the Council also acknowledges the significant lack of national progress in areas such as grid policy and technology adoption; alongside external factors such as the disruption of international supply chains and global inflation, the Council recognises the scale of the challenge and the significant resource required to achieve its ambition. Evidence of global and local effects of accelerating climate changes are becoming manifest, and this needs a focus also on mitigation to prepare our area for more extreme weather events.2022-23 progress, a period under the previous administration, in summary:

· Make BCP Council and its operations carbon neutral by 2030 -progress continues to be made, with scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions reduced by 9.9% from the 2019 baseline

· Work with the wider community to make the region carbon neutral before the UK target of 2050 – according to most recent data total area-wide emissions for 2022-23 have reduced by 8.3% from the2019 baseline. In recognition of the urgency to decarbonise, and that progress has not been as rapid as hoped or needed, it is proposed that our priorities during this next reporting period, include clear actions to accelerate progress, interim milestones and funding proposals.

The report contained 8 recommendations to Cabinet to highlight things that could be changed and there had been modest progress in the reversal of the cost of energy.

The committee were informed that there is a target to become a member on UK100 by 2045.

The papers had 2 appendices and at this point the Chair advised that appendix 2 would be a separate item.

It was stated that there was a 9.9% increase in energy reduction and in another 5 years by 2030 there will be 12% which is a long way off the target, what was the plane to accelerate that? The local area energy plan sets out what needed to be done locally.

The Council was on average where it should be and now looking at acceleration beyond area wide.  Data was given about energy usage in the council buildings, the largest of which was the Civic Centre and thesecond was 2 Rivers Meet leisure Centre.  The Crematorium was the largest in gasses.

The Committee was pleased to hear that Carbon Literacy training  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25