Agenda item

The Cabinet is requested to consider the agenda report and its appendices and make the following resolution and recommendation to Council:

1.    That the Climate Emergency Initial Action Plan, as presented in Appendix 1, is approved.

2.    That Cabinet recommends to Council that a Climate Emergency officer post at a total cost of £120,000, plus an operational budget of £30,000, is funded from reserves for 2 years (full time) to support delivery of the Action Plan.

RESOLVED

That the Climate Emergency Initial Action Plan as presented in Appendix 1 be approved.

RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL

That a Climate Emergency officer post at a total cost of £120,000, plus an operational budget of £30,000, is funded from reserves for 2 years (full time) to support delivery of the Action Plan.

Mrs Lintill clarified that the Cabinet recommendations are first to approve the Climate Emergency Action Plan and then to recommend to Council funding for a Climate Emergency Officer for a two year period.

Mrs Plant then introduced the report. She drew attention to the local level response to the Climate Emergency Declaration and explained that the council would endeavour to do the following as part of the Climate Emergency Action Plan:

·         Implement carbon reduction measures

·         Access funding through Homes England from the Graylingwell development

·         Increase tree planting

·         Reduce green waste

·         Consider transport options with local partners

·         Consider lifestyle options with local partners

Mrs Plant explained that the Environment Panel had been tasked with evaluating all possible options for how best to implement the Action Plan and had agreed on a recommendation to fund a full time Climate Emergency Officer for a two year period. The Panel had agreed that the postholder should ideally be experienced in carbon reduction and energy management projects.

Mr Day then provided background on the Low Carbon Chichester Fund offered by Homes England following the development agreement at Graylingwell.

Mrs Evans then clarified that the Action Plan included in the agenda pack is interim. If the Climate Emergency Officer role is approved the postholder would be tasked with creating a more detailed Action Plan.

Mr Wilding raised a point of concern relating to the planned reduction of CO2 emissions as he explained that the emission levels were likely to be out of the council’s control. Mrs Evans explained that the Low Carbon Graylingwell funding is aimed at projects which seek to reduce carbon emissions. Mr Wilding responded by outlining that transport and heating systems are two of the highest carbon emitters. Mr Day clarified that the carbon reduction levels would be calculated by taking account of national and community actions in addition to those of the council.

Mrs Taylor with reference to page 24 of the agenda pack relating to the Local Plan Review queried the timelines. Mrs Evans explained that the wording makes allowances for possible changes.

Mrs Graves with referenced to page 18 of the agenda pack sought clarification on tree planting. Mrs Evans explained that the Strategic Wildlife Corridor project would help considerably.

Mr Briscoe acknowledged that the 10% carbon reduction target is both realistic and achievable. He encouraged the Climate Emergency Officer to work in partnership with other local organisations to provide a positive platform for the future.

Mrs Lintill welcomed the proposal and the initial Action Plan.

Mrs Lintill then invited Miss Barrie and Mrs Sharp to ask their pre-submitted member questions (the answers provided are in italics below).

Miss Barrie asked the following:

With the very limited budget allocated to the work of the proposed new environment officer – will the cabinet please commit to a specific date for carbon neutrality for the council to work towards.  This will enable said officer to use their post to influence and motivate officers to create and implement policy and make decisions that will enable us to meet our climate change obligations and responsibilities.

The following answer was provided:

The Council’s Initial Action Plan includes a target to 2025.  This has been developed to align with the UK target of net carbon neutrality by 2050 and our aim is to deliver the UK national target of carbon neutrality by 2050 at a local level.  This target differs from those committed to by some other authorities in that it is an area-wide target for carbon reductions, as opposed to a target just for the Council’s own operations. 

Mrs Sharp asked the following question:

Midlothian, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Fareham, East Cambridgeshire, High Peak, Surrey Heath, Dartford, Tewkesbury, Wrexham, Rossendale, Epping Forest, Hyndburn, Southend – on Sea, Aylesbury Vale, Rother, Bolton, Falkirk, Ipswich, Tendring, Craven, Uttlesford, Vale of Glamorgan, Mid Suffolk, Telford and Wrekin, Woking, Folkestone and Hyde, South Ribble, East Suffolk, Peterborough, Isle of Wight, Kettering, Amber Valley, Lincoln, Chiltern, Adur and Worthing, Exeter, Guildford, Babergh, Braintree, Cherwell, Sutton, Blackburn with Darwen, Arun, Harrow, Rugby South Tyneside, Eastleigh, Wokingham, Canterbury, Darlington, Basingstoke and Deane, Sefton, Colchester, West Lancashire, Elmbridge, Dacorum, Tunbridge Wells, Cannock Chase, South Gloucestershire, Crawley, Rochdale, Broxtowe, Hammersmith and Fulham, Wolverhampton, Melton, Liverpool, Wandsworth, Worcester, Chelmsford City, Croydon, Lewes, Stratford on Avon, Pendle, Eden, Gloucester City, Thanet,  North Kesteven, Merton, Burnley, St Alban’s City, Bury, Staffordshire Moorlands, Richmond upon Thames, Eastbourne, Watford, Tonbridge and Malling, North East Derbyshire, Brent, West Berkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Moray, Renfrewshire, Swansea, Islington, Blackpool, West Oxfordshire, Swale, Greenwich, Gravesham, Harborough, Torbay, Redbridge, Rushmore, Northamptonshire, Welwyn Hatfield, Warrington, Mole Valley, Birmingham, Caerphillly, Derbyshire Dales, Mid Devon, Gateshead, Wakefield, North Hertfordshire, Three Rivers, Glasgow, Monmouthshire, North of Tyne, Newham, Isles of Scilly, Maidstone, Newcastle upon Tyne, Ealing, Newcastle under Lyme, Oxfordshire, Southwark, Cardiff, Redcar and Cleveland, Leeds, Hull, Suffolk, York, Portsmouth, Haringey, Plymouth, Bath and North East Somerset, Bedford, Herefordshire, Rushcliffe, Carlisle, Reading, Lewisham, Wiltshire, Carmarthenshire, Somerset West and Taunton, North Somerset District Council, Cheltenham, Edinburgh, Lancaster, Leicester,    Milton Keynes, Lambeth, Cornwall, Brighton and Hove, Scarborough, Forest of Dean, Stroud, Bristol are the councils that have declared the intention to become carbon neutral by 2030.  Without a specific date to work towards, does the Cabinet feel we will deliver a true incentive to implement policies in line with our climate change declaration? Could the Cabinet please commit to a date of 2030 in line with Chichester City Council and the other councils listed above?

The following answer was provided:

In drawing up the initial Action Plan we have set targets that are challenging but achievable for a District Council.  Our aim is to deliver the UK national target of carbon neutrality by 2050 at a local level.  Many of the authorities listed have a target for 2030, but only for their own operations, which are in turn only a very small part of the area wide carbon emissions.  We have set an area wide target for carbon reductions, however to deliver a target of area-wide neutrality by 2030 would rely on as yet unknown national and international actions.  Some of the authorities listed may have set such targets in order to lobby for the future government action and resources to deliver such targets without knowing whether they can deliver the target.  That is not a route that we suggest the Council should pursue.  However the national policy context is rapidly changing and we will keep our plan and its targets under review.

Mrs Lintill then acknowledged that a message of support was received from another member after the member question deadline. She confirmed that the message had been shared with the Portfolio Holder.

Decision

The Cabinet then voted unanimously to make the resolution and recommendation below.

RESOLVED

That the Climate Emergency Initial Action Plan as presented in Appendix 1 be approved.

RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL

That a Climate Emergency officer post at a total cost of £120,000, plus an operational budget of £30,000, is funded from reserves for 2 years (full time) to support delivery of the Action Plan.