Agenda item

The Executive Member for Environment and Sustainability.

The Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability, Councillor Moses, gave an overview of the Review of the Council’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy report, Action Plan and annexes.

The report explained how the review was undertaken and summarised the main changes that have resulted from the review. The proposed Strategy and Action Plan had been discussed by Members at the ES Strategy Scrutiny Review Panel (changes summarised in Annex 3), and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 14 March 2024 (draft Minute published as an Executive Addendum earlier in the week).

The Portfolio Holder stressed that the Council always needed to balance its environmental sustainability work with the need to be financially sustainable which was reflected in the Strategy and Action Plan. The updated documents will ensure that the Council continues to make good progress on its carbon reduction targets.

Annual reports will continue so Members can review and comment on progress and the Cross Party Member Sustainability Group would continue. Councillor Moses thanked all Members who have had an input into the review process either formally or informally.

There were no further comments from Executive Members.

Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Harrison, noted the changes that had been accepted as a result of the Panel’s reviewing comments. However, a number of suggested changes were not accepted. For example, some O&S/Panel Members felt that there should be more specific targets such as putting Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers in the Council’s own car parks. Other Members wanted to gather more data and evidence or felt that a specific Scope 3 net zero target should be included in the Strategy.

Visiting Members asked questions and made comments in the following areas:

·        Electric Vehicle (EV) charging in Council car parks – Members considered that residents needed to see clear targets for this work to be completed in every car park.

·        Net Zero target for scope 3 carbon emissions – some Members had suggested setting a Net Zero target for Council Scope 3 emissions for 2050 in the Strategy to hold the Council to the same standards as those expected of the borough’s businesses and residents. Members asked the Leader to defer this item while this issue was addressed in the public-facing version of the Strategy and Action Plan.

The Leader, Councillor Biggs, noted that these points had been raised by Members at Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting on 14 March and also at the ES Strategy Review Panel. It was difficult to base figures on data during the pandemic. The Action Plan could be amended and adapted in the future, but the Executive did not want to halt the work underway while this was debated. He noted the call to defer the item but said it should not be deferred as it was important to carry on with the work. The appropriateness of a specific Scope 3 target could be reviewed again in the future.

Visiting Members said that Members had been told to wait for the three-year review, but this issue was still not being addressed. They felt that in some instances pandemic data was irrelevant as the numbers of EV chargers had not changed in the last three years. They urged the Executive to be flexible going forward and look at this again.

·        Review of the Environmental Sustainability Strategy – it was noted that this would not take place again for another three years. Can changes be incorporated before this during the year. Also how much would this cost as residents would want to know.

The Leader said that the Strategy and Action Plan needed to be financially sustainable. The Head of Corporate Policy, Projects and Performance, noted that the Council had committed to producing an annual report to Overview and Scrutiny Committee on delivering progress. It was also referenced in the O&S Annual Forward Plan for next year. There would be a full review after three years. Work was continuing and Members will be given more information about specific actions (such as preparing an Electric Vehicle Strategy and where the EV charging points would go) when this was available. Budget reporting would set out the spending proposals based on business cases.

·        Mechanism for suggesting changes – Members asked how Members could make suggestions to change the Strategy and Action Plan going forward as they still had concerns about some of the actions and wanted to feed in proposals now rather than wait for another review. It was felt that targets were not ambitious enough and the review period meant that this issue was being pushed into the future rather than present.

The Leader referred to the recent O&S ES Strategy Review working group and member engagement throughout the recent review. Technologies would change in a year, and these are under review, including if they are financially viable. He said that the Portfolio Holder was happy to have individual discussions with Members and to receive email suggestions during the year. The Council was doing the best for residents while working within the current financial constraints.

The Portfolio Holder, Councillor Moses, said she was happy to receive Members’ suggestions and ideas via email during the year. She noted that there were already 91 actions in the Action Plan.

RESOLVED – that the Executive:

(i)               Approves the revised Environmental Sustainability Strategy at Annex 1 and Action Plan at Annex 2.

(ii)             Authorises the Head of Service for Corporate Policy, Projects & Performance in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Environment & Sustainability to make minor typographical or factual amendments prior to publication of the Strategy on the Council’s website.