Issue - meetings

Report of Director of Regeneration and Planning

Lead Cabinet member: Councillor Matthew Bird

(Key decision):

(1) To agree the timeline for the production of the Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy, adjusted in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, as described in paragraph 1.4 of the report.

(2) To approve the strategy framework for targeted stakeholder engagement, as summarised in paragraph 5.1 of the report.

(3) To approve the public engagement period of 10 weeks from 24th August 2020.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Regeneration and Planning providing sight of the climate change and sustainability strategy framework to be made available for stakeholder engagement work.

The Council declared a Climate Emergency in July 2019, with a target of becoming a fully resilient and net-zero Council by 2030.

The full strategy is scheduled to return to Cabinet, following a programme of stakeholder engagement, running from August to October 2020.

Kate Richardson, Strategy & Partnership Lead (Sustainability) presented the report and clarified that the baseline emissions for the district, detailed in appendix 1 to the report was incorrect and had been recalculated as 458 ktCO₂e. Cabinet was advised that the full report from the council’s consultants Anthesis would be circulated to Councillors once completed and published to the council’s website.

A referral from the meeting of the Policy and Performance Advisory Committee (PPAC), held on 29 June 2020 was considered by Cabinet during their discussions.

Visiting member, Councillor Linington addressed the Cabinet and commented on the lack of specific targets contained in the framework. Councillor Bird responded that a large number of actions had already been carried out and targets followed, given the severity of the Climate Emergency. The framework detailed in the document represented an exciting and ambitious programme of engagement and had been shaped with assistance from the Sustainability Expert Panel.

Resolved (Key decision):

(1) To agree the timeline for the production of the Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy, adjusted in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, as described in paragraph 1.4 of the report.

(2) To approve the strategy framework for targeted stakeholder engagement, as summarised in paragraph 5.1 of the report.

(3) To approve the public engagement period of 10 weeks from 24th August 2020.

Reason for decision:

To progress towards the aims of the Climate Emergency Resolution agreed by Council in July 2019.