Agenda item

The Climate Change Manager presented the Carbon Reduction Strategy Annual Review.

The UK Government had committed to Net Zero by 2050.

Members were informed that the Strategy and Action Plan supported the Council’s priorities of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure, and carbon reduction measures were contained with the Council Plan In addition, it supported the delivery of achieving carbon reduction across council services.

This Strategy was specifically to achieve carbon reduction and net zero for our internal activities across all service areas. Furthermore, the Strategy also identified our influencing role in supporting the reduction of carbon emissions from other organisations e.g., our contractors.

The Section on Measuring and Setting Emissions Targets in the Strategy outlined the targets to be achieved to ensure net zero by 2040. The Strategy was key to addressing Climate Change. The Strategy and action plan sought to deliver a 50% reduction by 2030 and 100% by 2040. As part of our current work to establish a figure for the council’s activities we arrived at an estimated figure of 1,746 tonnes of carbon emissions per year for 2021.

As highlighted in the report the Councils fleet would be fuelled by HVO until alternative vehicles were sourced.

As  detailed in the Strategy, currently the carbon emission figure for the district of Bromsgrove was 669,200 tonnes per year (2019). The latest carbon emission for BDC was 818 tonnes (2019). In order to reach an interim target of 50% by 2030 we needed to reduce our emissions by approximately 41 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.  To achieve net zero in the remaining 10 years to 2040 we would need a target of approximately 51 tonnes of savings per year.

Carbon savings had been made at Parkside and the Leisure Centre.  Staff mileage claims were being looked.  Claims were reducing but this did not take into account officers driving from Parkside to the Depot.

Other initiatives including in the Strategy were:-

·       Support BDHT to apply for funding to improve efficiency of housing stock.

·       Reduce staff travel and make further use of video conferencing.

·       Assess the viability of Council car parks and other sites for EV charges and Solar Canopies. Continue to work with Worcestershire County Council on a standardised approach to EV charger facilities. 

The Strategy and Action Plan would be reviewed annually and refreshed every three years.

Members raised a number of questions with regards to video conferencing and meetings that brought people together face to face.

The Chief Executive informed Members that there was currently a Government consultation on Local Authority Remote Meetings – Call for Evidence, which related to formal council meeting.  Senior officers would respond to the consultation, once their responses had been shared with Group Leaders.

Should Members require face to face meetings, officers would try and accommodate this.  Officers did join meetings remotely, but meetings were not routinely hybrid meetings.  Senior officers did promote face to face meetings for team engagement.

RECOMMENDEDthat the Council endorses the findings of the Annual Review of the Carbon Reduction Strategy, as detailed at Appendix 2 to the report.