Agenda item

Following a significant refresh of the Climate Action Team in 2022, this report introduces a new approach to tackling our Climate and Ecological Emergency. The Climate Programme presents the Annual Report updating on progress, and an Action Plan of next steps. Furthermore, a draft Climate Action Strategy that will set out BCP Council’s clear commitment and ambitious level of activity is in production and will be brought forward to a future Cabinet.

Annual Report headlines are:

·        Strategic Aim 1: Make BCP Council and its operations carbon neutral by 2030 - BCP Council is currently on track to meet its 2030 Net Zero Goal and has reduced scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 22% since 2019.

·        Strategic Aim 2: Work with the wider community to make the area carbon neutral before the UK target of 2050 – according to most recent data, recorded emissions in 2020 were 0.7% higher than those for 2019.  However, this is due to methodology changes. If the sequestration from land use estimate had remained the same as the previous year, there would have been recorded an estimated 8% decrease in emissions. Total recorded emissions in 2020 are 3% below the 2017 baseline published in the year our Climate and Ecological Emergency was declared. However, this reduction in recorded emissions is also affected by the methodology change. On a like-for-like basis, the reduction achieved would be greater (12%).

The Action Plan 2023/24 – 2024/25 lists the intended measures we expect to take over the next two years to ensure we remain on the correct trajectory to meet the above Strategic Aims. A new Action Plan will be produced annually.

The Climate Action Strategy will be the overarching structure, containing roadmaps to ensure those Strategic Aims are met. It is currently in early draft form and is to be developed further over the next few months, with the intention to include it in a public engagement process before being revised and ultimately adopted by Council. The current draft is included as an appendix to this paper and Cabinet is asked to note its progress.

Each annual Action Plan will be designed to ensure the milestone targets set within the Climate Action Strategy roadmaps are achieved.

RESOLVED that: -

(a)             Cabinet endorses the Climate Action Annual Report 2021/22 and Action Plan 2023/24 – 2024/25; and

(b)            Cabinet notes the progress towards a Draft Climate Action Strategy.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Finance, Net Zero and Transport

Reason

To ensure that the Council has prioritised actions required to achieve a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the Council’s own estate and across the wider BCP area. To enable the Council to work towards meeting its commitments under the Climate and Ecological Emergency Declaration and help global efforts to keep climate warming below 1.5°C to avoid further environmental damage, population displacement, biodiversity loss and risk to life.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance, Net Zero and Transport presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'N' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was advised that following a significant refresh of the Climate Action Team in 2022, this report introduces a new approach to tackling our Climate and Ecological Emergency, and that the Climate Programme presents the Annual Report updating on progress, and an Action Plan of next steps.

Furthermore Cabinet was advised that a draft Climate Action Strategy that will set out BCP Council’s clear commitment and ambitious level of activity is in production and will be brought forward to a future Cabinet.

Cabinet was informed that the Annual Report headlines were:

·        Strategic Aim 1: Make BCP Council and its operations carbon neutral by 2030 - BCP Council is currently on track to meet its 2030 Net Zero Goal and has reduced scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 22% since 2019.

·       Strategic Aim 2: Work with the wider community to make the area carbon neutral before the UK target of 2050 – recent data, recorded emissions in 2020 were 0.7% higher than those for 2019.  However, this is due to methodology changes. If the sequestration from land use estimate had remained the same as the previous year, there would have been recorded an estimated 8% decrease in emissions. Total recorded emissions in 2020 are 3% below the 2017 baseline published in the year our Climate and Ecological Emergency was declared. However, this reduction in recorded emissions is also affected by the methodology change. On a like-for-like basis, the reduction achieved would be greater (12%).

Cabinet was advised that the Action Plan 2023/24 – 2024/25 lists the intended measures we expect to take over the next two years to ensure we remain on the correct trajectory to meet the above Strategic Aims. A new Action Plan will be produced annually, and that the Climate Action Strategy will be the overarching structure, containing roadmaps to ensure those Strategic Aims are met, and that it is currently in early draft form and is to be developed further over the next few months, with the intention to include it in a public engagement process before being revised and ultimately adopted by Council. The current draft is included as an appendix to this paper and Cabinet is asked to note its progress.

Cabinet was informed that each annual Action Plan will be designed to ensure the milestone targets set within the Climate Action Strategy roadmaps are achieved.

RESOLVED that: -

(a)             Cabinet endorses the Climate Action Annual Report 2021/22 and Action Plan 2023/24 – 2024/25; and

(b)            Cabinet notes the progress towards a Draft Climate Action Strategy.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Finance, Net Zero and Transport

Reason

To ensure that the Council has prioritised actions required to achieve a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the Council’s own estate and across the wider BCP area. To enable the Council to work towards meeting its commitments under the Climate and Ecological Emergency Declaration and help global efforts to keep climate warming below 1.5°C to avoid further

environmental damage, population displacement, biodiversity loss and risk to life.