Issue - meetings

Recommendation:

That the Executive:

     I.        Endorses the updated content of Version 4 of the CNAP as presented in Annexe 1.

    II.        Notes the progress made on the CNAP during 2023 attached as Annexe 2

  III.        Considers the financial summary in Annexe 3 and agrees to review a proposal for a top up budget for the Climate Emergency Reserve at the next budget setting.

  IV.        Agrees in principle to reviewing a budgetary framework at the next budget setting that could enable revenue from income generating climate projects to be used to fund further climate change projects.

                     I.        Agree to endorse the updated content of Version 4 of the CNAP as presented in Annexe 1;

                    II.        Note the progress made on the CNAP during 2023 attached as Annexe 2;

                  III.        Consider the financial summary in Annexe 3 and agree to review a proposal for a top-up budget for the Climate Emergency Reserve at the next budget setting; and

                  IV.        Agree in principle to reviewing a budgetary framework at the next budget setting that could enable revenue from income generating climate projects to be used to fund further climate change projects.

55.1    Councillor Williams introduced the third annual update of the Carbon Neutrality Action Plan (CNAP) since its adoption in 2020, and highlighted that the Council had achieved a 39% reduction in its organisational greenhouse gas emissions. He thanked Officers for their work and emphasised that there had been an organisational cultural shift toward sustainability. The report set out that budgetary support would be needed to deliver future climate and sustainability projects, in order to deliver Net Zero by 2030.

55.2    Executive Members’ statements in support of the recommendations included:

·       The Council’s achievements had been delivered despite the withdrawal of government support for climate initiatives, and had demonstrated that those that doubted the ambitions were wrong

·       Greater emphasis on clean air monitoring and active travel initiatives particularly around schools, would be welcome

·       ‘Business as usual’ was no longer an option, sustainability had to continue to infuse everything the council did; and

·       The hostile language and negativity around climate change initiatives was negligent.

The Executive RESOLVED unanimously to:

1. Agree to endorse the updated content of Version 4 of the CNAP as presented in Annexe 1;

2. Note the progress made on the CNAP during 2023 attached as Annexe 2;

3. Consider the financial summary in Annexe 3 and agree to review a proposal for a top-up budget for the Climate Emergency Reserve at the next budget setting; and

4. Agree in principle to reviewing a budgetary framework at the next budget setting that could enable revenue from income generating climate projects to be used to fund further climate change projects.

Reasons

1.     To ensure that the Executive is up to date with the Council’s progress on its response to the Climate Emergency

2.     To ensure that there is increased capacity for priority being given to the Council’s climate change strategy in view of the accelerating threat of climate change.