Agenda item

In July, the Head of Climate Change agreed to return to the Committee with an update on the development of the authority’s Climate Change Strategy and Carbon Management Plan. 

The draft Climate Change Strategy and covering report are attached for consideration by the Committee prior to the Strategy’s submission to the Climate Change Board on 20 September 2010. 

The Carbon Management Plan will be considered by Cabinet on 16 November 2010.  Accordingly the Head of Climate Change will provide the Committee with a presentation detailing the status of the Plan to date.

Recommendation:

The Committee is asked to:

1)         note the report on the Climate Change Strategy and make recommendations as appropriate.

2)                 note the update provided on the Carbon Management Plan and to provide recommendations as appropriate; and

3)                 decide whether to make arrangements to scrutinise a copy of the Carbon Management Plan prior to it’s submission to Cabinet on 16 November 2010.

The Head of Climate Change attended the meeting to present the draft Climate Change Strategy to the Committee prior to the Strategy’s submission to the Climate Change Board on 20 September 2010 and provided a presentation on the current position of the Carbon Management Plan.

The Cabinet Member for Waste, Property and Environment and Service Director for Economy and Enterprise were also in attendance to answer any questions arising.

Climate Change Strategy

Discussion commenced with members expressing their support for the strategy and providing acknowledgement of the work that had been undertaken to date. 

Members were asked to consider the ambitions of the document and how best these could be achieved.  The following points were made:

-       Details of monitoring responsibility should be included within the Strategy to ensure that the Strategy was effective (the Climate Change Board was proposed as one such monitoring body). 

-       Nottingham Declaration and the 10:10 Agreement should be referenced within the Legal and Policy Context section of the Strategy (although it was understood they did not hold legal obligations).

-       That there was a need for officers to show commitment to the requirements of the Strategy in order to influence the community around them.  (Supporting Stronger Resilient Communities was raised as a way to help implement the strategy within the community).

-       That the policy decision regarding Fair Trade should be referenced in the Strategy.

-       That the relationship with Wessex Water should be strengthened and that a relationship with Thames Water (which was not currently mentioned within the Strategy) should also be developed and strengthened.

-       The Strategy required the support of other public organisations to be truly effective.  Acknowledgement was made that a paper would be submitted to the Public Service Board on 15 September where discussion would include public assets, how the council managed it’s properties and Climate Change Adaptation.  Public services were required to sign up to the contents of the Public Service Board document.

-       The Strategy would not be effective without the appropriate financial support and was likely to be influenced by the budgetary details released by central government in October.  Details of the financial commitment required should be included.

-       That clarification should be provided on the definition of Greenhouse Gas Equivalents data supplied by the University of Exeter.

-       That the coordination of adaptation approaches and responses with other public service organisations should be included as a risk within the Strategy. 

-       Further clarity should be provided on the emissions that the council managed directly and had the power to influence.   Examples of the work already undertaken by the council to demonstrate commitment should also be included.

-       That although the council had little control over emissions by schools, encouragement should be given for schools to work within their travel plans, this could also be achieved through encouragement via the education programme.

-       Indicative targets (and expected timeframes) should be included.

-       That resource savings made as a result of the strategy should be reinvested within this area.  This would demonstrate a commitment by the Council.

-       The use of solar panels on housing stock and alternatives to the current school transport policy were also discussed as areas where the council could help to reduce emissions.

-       That more work should be conducted to ensure that the importance of carbon reduction was being communicated across the organisation although acknowledgement was made to the involvement of area boards and community groups and the recent appointment of Green Champions across the organisation to assist in this area. 

-       The importance of departmental action plans should be clearly stated within the Strategy and the plans should clearly indicate those whose responsibility it is to deliver the action required.

-       That the strategy should include a section on what help/advice/ expectations the Council had on individual residents and the part that they can play.

-       That the purchasing strategy should include Wiltshire Council’s expectations of partner strategies.

Carbon Management Plan

A presentation by the Head of Climate Change was delivered which provided details of the status of the Carbon Management Plan to date. 

The presentation included details on:

• The aims of the Carbon Management Plan
• The general approach
• The Targets
• Council emissions for 2009/10
• Carbon reduction initiatives already identified
• Resources
• Forecasting
• Financial implications of meeting the targets

A copy of the presentation can be found here.

Ensuing discussion included:

·         The need for a review of the Plan following the anticipated budgetary reductions imposed by central government in October. 

·         As a result of the anticipated cuts whether the targets imposed where achievable.

·         That schools and childrens centres had an effect on emissions but that little or no investment in these areas over the years would result in little change in emissions.

·         That the potential reduction in the budget should not deflect from the importance of the Plan.

·         Climate Change objectives should be at the forefront of the council’s policies. 

Resolved:

1)                      To note the draft Climate Change Strategy and request that the Cabinet Member incorporate the comments made by the Committee prior to finalisation of the Strategy.

2)                      To note the progress made in developing the Carbon Management Plan.

3)                      That the Committee receives a 6 month update on implementation of the Carbon Management Plan.