Agenda item

To consider approval of the Draft Climate Change Strategy, including action plan and resource implications.

Cllr Nigel Moor, Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning, presented the Draft Climate Change Strategy, including immediate action plan and resource implications for implementation of the strategy. 

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and,

RESOLVED to:

1.    Approve the Immediate Action Plan and endorse the Climate Change Strategy (Annex 1);

2.    Adopt the Gloucestershire Climate Change manifesto (Figure 1) and seek the support of the council’s partners at Leadership Gloucestershire to join the county council’s commitment;

3.    Approve up to £90,000 in-year investment to cover the costs of developing and implementing the strategy and for the staffing and green electricity proposals, from the 2019/20 existing corporate budget;

4.    Subject to the Council approving the £1million Climate Change and Air Quality ‘Action Fund’, to delegate authority to the Director for Economy, Environment & Infrastructure to determine how the Fund will be used to support delivery of the Climate Change Strategy, in consultation with the:

a)    Cabinet Members for Environment & Planning; Finance & Change; Public Health & Communities; and the

b)    Directors of Finance ; Public Health

5.    Note the findings from the public consultation and the feedback from the Gloucestershire Youth Climate Panel (Annex 2)

Cllr Nigel Moor, Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning, presented the Draft Climate Change Strategy, including an immediate action plan and resource implications for implementation of the strategy. 

Cllr Moor informed members that the council had been working to reduce its impact on climate change for at least 15 years.  In spite of its ongoing commitment, the council recognised that, as a county, more work was needed to address climate change, and quickly.  Cllr Moor stated that, whilst there was a desire to lead Gloucestershire’s response, it was not possible for the council to do this alone.

He explained that the new Climate Change Strategy set out the council’s vision of achieving a carbon neutral county by 2050. The strategy aimed to provide an ‘improved quality of life’ for everyone, both at the current time, and for future generations. This would be achieved from making improvements to the quality of the natural environment.  Furthermore, the vision aimed to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2030.

Cllr Moor explained that the strategy highlighted the level of change that would be required and, in broad terms, what actions would be required to make this happen. He described the document as an enabling strategy; setting out what the council needed to do and how it needed to work with partner agencies to deliver the changes, enabling everyone involved to play their part.

The intention would be to share the proposed overall approach with Leadership Gloucestershire and with other partners, seeking agreement on how Gloucestershire as a whole can work together to bring about a co-ordinated approach in response to the climate emergency.

Cllr Moor informed members that the council was striving to respond urgently to the climate emergency and to ensure resources were available from which to deliver the necessary changes. He stated that the council would work within the remit of an immediate action plan, with an anticipated delivery date of April 2020.  Medium and long term measures would be implemented as part of a five year rolling programme, due to be launched in April 2020, to be reviewed and updated annually.

The proposed strategy concentrated on 8 key themes, including:

1.            Putting climate change at the heart of decision making

2.            Buildings – ours, residents, businesses and partners

3.            Transport – carbon busting options for all

4.            Power – helping everyone convert to green power

5.            Waste – reducing and dealing with

6.            Influencing others

7.            Land use

8.            Campaigning

It made an immediate commitment to the following key actions, with an anticipated target date of April 2020:

• £1million action fund to fight the effects of climate change;
• Million Trees Challenge – working with partners across Gloucestershire, the council commits to planting a million trees by 2030;
• To use only 100% renewable electricity to power council buildings and Gloucestershire’s lit road signs, bollards and 60,000 streetlights – which would see the council having cut its CO₂ emissions by 89% since 2007;
• Request all contractors to report a “carbon and environmental cost” on competing bids;
• Make another £1million available from our Salix fund to support other public sector organisations with carbon reduction projects;
• Consult on the revised plan for transport – challenging the way we travel looking at cycling, roads, rail and on foot travel; and
• Install 200 new electric vehicle charging points by 2023.

Cllr Moor informed members that, making a further £1million available to support public sector organisations with carbon reduction projects, would allow the council to become more involved with the projects and hopefully encourage members to undertake an ambassador role in the process.

Cllr Moor announced that the new climate change strategy represented a real step change in ambition, resources and action. The aim would be to lead the response in the climate emergency, alongside, and in partnership, with Leadership Gloucestershire and other partners, including the Gloucestershire Youth Panel. The strategy aimed to enable everyone to become involved in the global effort of minimising climate change by managing the impacts.

Making reference to the Climate Change Manifesto, Leader of the Council, Cllr Mark Hawthorne, highlighted the need to address the climate change emergency through actions, and not just words. Drawing on the surge of attention placed on the planting of trees, the Leader referred to the tremendous challenge the proposed planting, (and specifically, the nurturing to maturity), of one million trees would be.

Cllr Moor recommended that his cabinet colleagues endorse and approve the Climate Change Strategy and Immediate Action Plan, along with the recommendations included in the decision report.

Cabinet members expressed their full support and congratulated Cllr Moor and officers for their commendable efforts in producing the strategy.

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and,

RESOLVED to:

1.    Approve the Immediate Action Plan and endorse the Climate Change Strategy (Annex 1);

2.    Adopt the Gloucestershire Climate Change manifesto (Figure 1) and seek the support of the council’s partners at Leadership Gloucestershire to join the county council’s commitment;

3.    Approve up to £90,000 in-year investment to cover the costs of developing and implementing the strategy and for the staffing and green electricity proposals, from the 2019/20 existing corporate budget;

4.    Subject to the Council approving the £1million Climate Change and Air Quality ‘Action Fund’, to delegate authority to the Director for Economy, Environment & Infrastructure to determine how the Fund will be used to support delivery of the Climate Change Strategy, in consultation with the:

a)    Cabinet Members for Environment & Planning; Finance & Change; Public Health & Communities; and the

b)    Directors of Finance and Public Health

5.    Note the findings from the public consultation and the feedback from the Gloucestershire Youth Climate Panel (Annex 2)