Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Sustainability Team Manager.

The Sustainability Team Manager introduced the progress report and gave a presentation which is attached to these minutes. Key areas of progress included the public sector decarbonisation scheme, developing climate and ecological branding, webpage development, communications support, and partner engagement. The next steps included a refresh of the climate and ecological strategy and action plan.

The Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel, and Environment felt that this was some of the best climate and ecological work done by councils and it was something to be proud of. 

The committee reviewed the progress report and asked questions of the officers and portfolio holder. During the discussion, the following points were raised:

• There was a need to start using measures that had better value for money.
• The refreshed strategy would be used to develop the action plan further.
• There was some data being produced for every local authority area, however there were some elements of data that the council needed to improve at collecting.
• A member asked for the video shown during the presentation to be put on social media and circulated to parish councils.
• Local members were essential for raising climate and ecological opportunities in their wards.
• Wind power was a reliable source of energy.
• There would be a future piece of work on tree planting. The was a need to see what level of priority it would be.
• Grants from funding outside the council were being used for tree planting.
• If the right kind of trees are not planted, then they would not be as effective.

The Chairman asked to receive further information on how the failure to receive grant applications and the loss of experienced officers would impact on achieving the carbon neutral target.

The Chairman asked for the review on tree planting opportunities to be progressed earlier than planned.