Issue - meetings

The Executive are recommended to make the resolutions set out in the report at agenda item 8.

Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability.

The Executive RESOLVED to approve:

       I.          The introduction of priority projects within the CNAP which will be updated in the annual review due in September/October 2024.

     II.          That where it is not currently feasible for individual priority projects to reach net zero by 2030 new dates should be set and approved by the Executive, following the production of the Constraints to Net Zero report.

The Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability presented the report and thanked Officers for its detail. Executive members noted that the report set out the priorities for the Council’s ambitions.

The Executive RESOLVED to approve:

      I.        The introduction of priority projects within the CNAP which will be updated in the annual review due in September/October 2024.

    II.        That where it is not currently feasible for individual priority projects to reach net zero by 2030 new dates should be set and approved by the Executive, following the production of the Constraints to Net Zero report.

Reasons:

a)    Prioritising projects which will have the greatest impact on carbon reduction will enable the council to focus its limited resources on projects which will help us to reach the net zero objective.

b)    Setting a revised timetable for individual projects which we know will be difficult to achieve by 2030 will manage expectations and demonstrate a realistic understanding of the processes needed to achieve net zero for all organisation emissions

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee – Resources is asked to review the proposed Priority Projects as relating to the 2024 Carbon Neutrality Action Programme and offer feedback, comments, and any recommendations that they may wish to resolve.

82.1     The Sustainability Manager introduced the report. Cllr Williams noted that the report concerned prioritisation of the most impactful actions, in aid of securing carbon neutrality by 2030, and confirmed to the Chair that social housing’s carbon emissions are not considered under the actions relating to the 93% of organisational emissions referred to in the attached appendix.

82.2     The Chair enquired about the financial implications of the plan. Officers confirmed that most of the funding being sought is from central government, such as from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund, and that further work on stock surveys is being carried out to estimate the cost of decarbonisation across the entire social housing stock. Cllr Williams noted that the plan always included the need to support, facilitate and encourage other actors, as well as lobby government, though noting that much of this lobbying has been unsuccessful.

82.3     Cllr MacLeod stated that not receiving the funding may jeopardise the 2030 objective.

The Committee RESOLVED to welcome greater clarity in the projects delivery decarbonisation, with priority given to the provision of greater detail in the plans for decarbonisation of social housing.