Agenda item

As agreed in the ‘Response to Climate and Ecological Emergency’ report to Council in December 2019, an annual report on climate action is required to monitor and communicate progress towards achieving the declared goals.  This report will go to Full Council on 22^nd February 2022.

BCP Council declared a Climate and Ecological Emergency on 16 July 2019.  This report sets out the work the Council has carried out in the second year towards achieving our targets to:

·       Make BCP Council and its operations carbon neutral by 2030 - The amount of carbon emissions from Council operations has reduced by over 10%, from 41,567 tCO₂e to 37,109 tCO₂e.

·       Work with the wider community to make the region carbon neutral before the UK target of 2050 – the amount of area-wide carbon emissions has decreased by 71,748 tonnes CO₂e (3.7%) between figures released in 2019 and 2020 (energy use data for the years 2017 and 2018 respectively).

2020/21 has been a transitional and unusual year for Climate Action, sitting as it does between the declaration of national and local Climate and Ecological Emergencies and the COP26 summit, and while we are still in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic that continues to dominate news. Covid-19 continues to be a major factor in progressing Climate Action, and it is not yet clear if the effects on carbon reduction will be maintained and trends continued. At the start of the reporting period, Council funding for Climate Action had been withdrawn as part of the response to financial pressures caused by Covid-19. Following a change in political control of the Council, the funding was reinstated, but this interruption significantly disrupted the ability to spend the money effectively. Important additional funding has been secured to grow the Climate Action team and to drive forward the delivery of the Action Plan with a new Climate Action staffing structure created. This will ensure that the service provided by the Team meets and exceed stakeholder expectations, and that the portfolio of activities in the Action Plan is optimised to meet our 2030 and 2050 targets as cost effectively and as quickly as is sensible.

In addition, this report also recommends that Cabinet approve exploration of the Council becoming members of the UK100 - a network of highly ambitious local government leaders looking to transition to clean energy, taking the public and business with them.

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

In introducing the item Cabinet was advised that a member of the public had submitted a question to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee who had subsequently suggested the question be submitted to the Cabinet. The question was submitted as follows: -

Question from Mrs Zoe Tees

The global overheating tragedy accelerates. Crop failure, starvation, floods, fires, ocean acidification, landslides, tornados; effects are multiplying exponentially. We are all vulnerable.

But Councillor Stribley (Echo report 18.12.21) fails to explain to local motorists the deep urgency of the climate crisis let alone show concern for the schoolchildren of the area on an extremely dangerous road (Tatnam).  

Despite financial government support, the approval of officers, the transport portfolio holder, headteachers, councillors and residents the decision is- inconsistently-  being reversed, the road kept open to polluting vehicles.

Moreover, BCP still support deadly policies harmful to nature. 

How can BCP reassure us we'll be speedily protected? 

Response by the Portfolio Holder for Sustainability and Transport

The Portfolio Holder thanked Mrs Tees for her question and referred to the previous Cabinet meeting in respect of the reference to Tatnam Road which he advised had been thoroughly debated by both the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Cabinet and which should answer the questions raised.

The Portfolio Holder then went on to introduce the Cabinet report.

Cabinet was advised that as agreed in the ‘Response to Climate and Ecological Emergency’ report to Council in December 2019, an annual report on climate action was required to monitor and communicate progress towards achieving the declared goals. 

In relation to this Cabinet was advised that this report will go to Full Council on 22 February 2022.

Cabinet was informed that BCP Council had declared a Climate and Ecological Emergency on 16 July 2019, and that this report sets out the work the Council has carried out in the second year towards achieving  targets to:

·       Make BCP Council and its operations carbon neutral by 2030 - The amount of carbon emissions from Council operations has reduced by over 10%, from 41,567 tCO₂e to 37,109 tCO₂e.

·       Work with the wider community to make the region carbon neutral before the UK target of 2050 – the amount of area-wide carbon emissions has decreased by 71,748 tonnes CO₂e (3.7%) between figures released in 2019 and 2020 (energy use data for the years 2017 and 2018 respectively).

Cabinet was advised that 2020/21 had been a transitional and unusual year for Climate Action, sitting as it does between the declaration of national and local Climate and Ecological Emergencies and the COP26 summit, and while we are still in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic that continues to dominate news.

In relation to this Cabinet was advised that Covid-19 continues to be a major factor in progressing Climate Action, and it is not yet clear if the effects on carbon reduction will be maintained and trends continued.

Cabinet was informed that at the start of the reporting period, Council funding for Climate Action had been withdrawn as part of the response to financial pressures caused by Covid-19, and that following a change in political control of the Council, the funding was reinstated, but this interruption significantly disrupted the ability to spend the money effectively.

Cabinet was further informed that important additional funding has been secured to grow the Climate Action team and to drive forward the delivery of the Action Plan with a new Climate Action staffing structure created, and that this will ensure that the service provided by the Team meets and exceed stakeholder expectations, and that the portfolio of activities in the Action Plan is optimised to meet our 2030 and 2050 targets as cost effectively and as quickly as is sensible.

In addition, Cabinet was advised that this report also recommends that Cabinet approve exploration of the Council becoming members of the UK100 - a network of highly ambitious local government leaders looking to transition to clean energy, taking the public and business with them.

The Portfolio Holder introduced the new Head of Climate Matt Montgomery who subsequently provided Cabinet with an overview of his previous experience and aims within his role.

The Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Board addressed the Cabinet highlighting that their recent meeting had been solely dedicated to discussing this report, with the intention of specifically scrutinising the climate report and then the wider climate inquiry, however the ambition had been too great and they had run out of time and had deferred the last section of the meeting until the next meeting of the Board.

In relation to this the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Board advised that the board had been very encouraged by some aspects of the report and that some actions and suggestions made at the Board had been taken into consideration by the Portfolio Holder and Officers.

The Leader thanked the Overview and Scrutiny Board for their consideration and comments in respect of the report.

Councillor Hadley addressed the Cabinet stressing the importance of looking at this from a strategic level and questioning the small reduction in gas and energy used by the council considering most people were no longer working from the offices due to the requirement to work from home.

RECOMMENDED that: -

a)             Cabinet recommends to Council that it notes this report as an update on activities taken to address the Climate and Ecological Emergency during 2020/21

b)             Cabinet endorses and recommends that Council supports the adoption and ongoing development and delivery of the BCP Climate Action Plan

c)             Cabinet explores joining the UK100 Group of Local Authorities leading the way on Climate Change

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Sustainability and Transport