Agenda item

To receive a report presenting the Climate Strategy for adoption by the Council.

Executive Councillor: L Davenport-Ray.

The Cabinet has recommended to Council the approval of:

(a)  the formal recognition of a Climate Crisis and Ecological Emergency;

(b)  the adoption of the Council’s Climate Strategy in response to the Climate Emergency;

(c)  the adoption of the initial Climate Action Plan proposed, endorsing its annual refresh in association with our communities, businesses and partners through the Climate Conversation; and

(d)  annual reporting of progress to Overview and Scrutiny and more frequent collaboration with the Overview and Scrutiny Climate Working Group.

With the aid of a report prepared by the Assistant Director (Strategic Insight & Delivery) (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Cabinet were presented with the Climate Strategy for adoption by the Council.

In introducing the report, the Executive Councillor for Climate & Environment outlined the breadth of work undertaken by Officers to produce the Strategy which seeks to achieve the following:

§  a positive example through its actions to be a net carbon zero Council by 2040;

§  an enabler supporting action within our communities and across our partners; and

§  an encourager to those that live, work and visit Huntingdonshire to take climate action and reduce carbon emissions.

She then went on to report that the Council had previously agreed a Cost of Living and Climate Change motion at its meeting on 12th October 2022 which recognised that both matters required joint attention to support the wellbeing of residents and businesses. Attention was then drawn to the vision and 6 objectives of the Strategy which had been devised following feedback from residents, businesses and stakeholders whom had engaged with the Council’s 2022 Climate Survey. The pathway to achieving carbon net zero 2040 was then discussed, together with an explanation of the projected emissions and linear and exponential target emissions. It was noted that the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Carbon Management Plan would initially seek to avoid activities that would cause emissions, with the Council’s least favoured option being offsetting residual emissions. Finally, attention was drawn to Appendix 5, which outlined the Council’s Climate Action Plan. Members of the Cabinet noted the 3 high priority actions and acknowledged that some of the actions within the plan had already commenced within the Council.

Having had their attention drawn to the views of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Environment, Communities & Partnerships) and in noting that Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Performance & Growth) had been invited to attend the Panel to address the meeting on the content of the Strategy given its impact upon the Council, the Cabinet’s attention was drawn to cross party concern over the planned £100,000 reserve set aside for actions/projects designed to achieve the objectives of the Strategy. Views had been expressed that this was not a sufficient level of funding. The Executive Councillor for Climate and Environment advised that in the next budget round, she would be making a one off bid of £150,000 to help further achieve the aspirations of the Strategy. Executive Members’ attention was then drawn to a suggestion made by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Environment, Communities & Partnerships) to include an additional recommendation relating to the establishment of a set of measures against which progress and timescales could be monitored through regular reporting to Overview and Scrutiny. The Executive Councillor for Climate and Environment acknowledged the role that Overview and Scrutiny could play in the future and instead proposed an alternative recommendation relating to the annual reporting of progress to Overview and Scrutiny and more frequent collaboration with the Overview and Scrutiny Climate Working Group.

Matters that were discussed by the Cabinet included the outcome of the Residents Survey undertaken 12 months ago, the statutory requirement for the Council to collect waste and the planning that would be required to manage the Council’s vehicle fleet going forward and the impact of the new A14 and tree planting in the area. In response to the latter, the Executive Councillor for Leisure, Waste and Street Scene delivered a comprehensive update on the  National Highways Replanting Strategy and the steps that would be taken to consider each of the tree planting site locations individually with a view to better matching tree species with soil conditions to improve the health of the trees and offer better sound screening to affected communities. It was anticipated this work would be completed by September 2023.

In discussing the need to create a balance in the reporting of action plan measures so that it would not dominate Officer time and whilst exercising some caution around the linear target emission pathway to achieving carbon net zero by 2040, thanks was extended to Officers, Service Managers and all Cabinet Members for contributions and the production of a comprehensive and informative report. The Executive Councillor for Climate and Environment also welcomed the detailed comments which had been provided by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel.

Having expressed their unanimous support for the recommendations proposed, including the additional recommendation suggested by the Executive Councillor for Climate and Environment, it was

RESOLVED

that Council be recommended to approve:

(a)  the formal recognition of a Climate Crisis and Ecological Emergency;

(b)  the adoption of the Council’s Climate Strategy in response to the Climate Emergency;

(c)  the adoption of the initial Climate Action Plan proposed, endorsing its annual refresh in association with our communities, businesses and partners through the Climate Conversation; and

(d)  the annual reporting of progress to Overview and Scrutiny and more frequent collaboration with the Overview and Scrutiny Climate Working Group.