Issue - meetings

To consider the report by the Sustainability Team Manager, Climate & Ecology Policy Officer and Carbon Management Officer

The Leader introduced this item in relation to its key importance to the manifesto pledge to reduce carbon emissions. The item was presented by the Sustainability Team Manager, supported by the Climate & Ecological Policy &Project Manager and Carbon Management Officer. The paper set out the intent to change greenhouse gas emission reduction trajectories and 5-year milestones required to achieve a net zero council by 2035 and a net zero county by 2045, along with the action needed to accelerate the pace and scale of delivery.

Following the presentation the committee had a broad discussion covering a range of subjects

·       Resilience to climate change and events such as flooding

·       The importance of engaging with partners, utilising multiple disciplines and a multiagency response to climate.

·       The opportunity in new technologies

·       Grid capacity as a limiting factor and the grid enquiry completed by scrutiny and the next steps identified.

·       The cost of realigning these targets and the opportunity cost of speeding up targets

·       There is a risk that the climate agenda can be viewed as mutually exclusive to other work, the Councils approach seeks to embed climate priorities in all work.

·       Funding sources and resource allocation

·       The details of the financial information including capital and revenue budget.

·       The impact of clean growth jobs on the local economy.

The meeting was extended to continue the discussion- proposed by Cllr Jesperson and seconded by Cllr Taylor.

The committee requested the specific financial information relating to the paper to be shared in writing when confirmed.

The recommendations in the paper were supported by the Committee.