Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

RESOLVED – that the minutes of the meeting held on 6 February 2020 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

To receive and discuss the presentation of Felicity Mercer (Director: Communities, Customer and Commercial Services) and Harjot Rayet (Climate Change & Sustainability Coordinator).

Councillor Carolyn Healy (Cabinet Member for Visitor Economy, Historic & Natural Environment and Climate Change) will also attend for this item.

The associated Cabinet report can be viewed at: https://democracy.telford.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=1134&MId=1184&Ver=4

The Committee received the presentation of the Director for Communities, Customer & Commercial Servicesand the Climate Change & Sustainability Coordinator. The presentation covered a broad range of issues.

The presentation gave Members an overview of the science underlying climate change. Officers provided an explanation of the greenhouse gas effect and effects this had on both the United Kingdom and, locally for the Borough. On 25 July 2019, the Council declared a Climate Emergency and made a commitment for carbon neutrality from the Council’s controlled operations and activities by 2030. A further commitment was made to engage with residents, businesses, public sector organisations and partners to work together with the aspiration for the Borough to also be carbon neutral by 2030. 

To meet the 2030 target, the Council would focus on reducing emissions as far as possible. If this measure was unable to decrease emissions sufficiently, the Council’s Action Plan called for measures such as habitat creation and tree planting as a means of offsetting emissions. Climate action has to benefit the Borough’s communities, providing employment prospects and inward investment – it was important not to heighten inequality. The Council’s climate action is not new, its carbon footprint has reduced by 44% since 2005, and action has accelerated over the past year with the introduction of Green Guarantee sites and a number of projects; namely switching to LED and retrofitting buildings with solar power. In the year just gone, the Council had also switched to a 100% green energy tariff for the Council estate, streetlights, and schools.

Officers noted the duality of COVID-19 in respect of the Council’s climate change agenda. On the one hand, the pandemic had slowed efforts down due to redeployment of staff and a shift in immediate priorities. Whilst on the other, there had been significant environmental benefits from the closure of public buildings and home working, reduced business miles, and a substantially reduced reliance on printing.

Moving forward, over the next year, the Council planned to continue with a number of measures. Additional buildings were to be retrofitted, the efficiency of fleet services would be reviewed, and procurement of a multi-partner electrical vehicle framework would begin. Alongside these measures would be nature-focussed work that would look at enhancing and restoring grassland, heathland, and wetland on council land and scoping the creation of community forests.

The Council recognised the need to work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders for climate policies to be effective. To this end, the Council had established Climate Change Partnership, which had a broad membership representing business, education, community groups, and the public sector. Its membership would be widened further via a sub-group system of working, allowing other interested parties to become involved. The Partnership was not Council led but Council supported.

A new initiative, Climate Change Champions, was to be launched and would open up volunteering opportunities to all in the Borough. The ideas was to have a programme of events throughout the year in the community to reach out to  ...  view the full minutes text for item ENVSC7

Connection with the Chair was lost at 19:33 before this item could begin.