Agenda item - Revised greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction trajectories and key milestones

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Climate, Performance and Safeguarding.

(a) That the revised greenhouse gas emission reduction 5-year milestones and trajectories to net zero, be agreed.

(b) That the Natural Environment, Climate and Ecology Strategy be updated to reflect revised targets and trajectories and required programmes of work.

(c) That £6.025 million be allocated from the Capital programme be allocated to support the acceleration of the Council’s carbon reduction programme to 2027.

(d) That authority be delegated to Executive Director for Corporate Development in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Climate, Performance and Safeguarding to approve individual item spend within the £6.025million programme of work.

Reason for the decision

The Dorset Council Plan 2024-29 sets tackling the climate and nature emergencies as one of four strategic priorities. That included bringing forward the council and county net zero carbon targets by 5 years to 2035 and 2045 respectively. The new corporate targets required a revision of the trajectories and interim targets currently outlined in the Natural Environment, Climate and Ecology Strategy and consideration of the action required to accelerate delivery.

The Leader of the Council set out a report which responded to the new Council Plan commitments to bring forward the Council’s carbon reduction targets for the Council and the county to 2035 and 2045 respectively. The report also set out the trajectories that would be required to achieve the new targets and the key milestones that would be needed for 2030, 2035 and 2040. The report set out the detailed work and activities that would be accelerated to meet these targets.

In response to questions, the Corporate Director for Strategy, Performance and Sustainability confirmed that, historically the Council had been successful in bringing in additional external funding, and there were further Salix funding programmes available and likely that other alternative funding would be coming forward.

In response to further questions regarding long-term costs, the Sustainability Team Manager confirmed that there were many variables to consider, however the approach taken, was to look at the next five years, and take into account what progress could be made to move programmes forward. In terms of the capital spend, the additional 6 million pounds aimed to support the acceleration of those programmes and to be able to bring forward newer, bigger schemes.

In reply to a question regarding council owned social housing being part of the building retrofit programme and social housing registered landlords; Cabinet was advised that this would be looked at in more detail going forward.

Responding to concerns raised regarding making changes to the key milestones that were originally set out by the Council, the Corporate Director for Strategy, Performance and Sustainability advised that most of the peer review work of local authorities had indicated that these targets, although challenging, could be met if the right policy levers and clever design was in place.

Replying to a question regarding vehicle tyres being shipped abroad to be burnt rather than recycled, the Leader of the Council advised that he was not aware of the Dorset Council Fleet disposing of its tyres in this way, but he would investigate and report to the individual councillor concerned.

Cabinet Members unanimously supported the report and its recommendations.

It was proposed by Cllr N Ireland seconded by Cllr C Sutton