Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Environment concerning the Climate Change Strategy for the council.

To consider the report of the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Environment presenting the findings of a report into how the City Council can reduce our carbon emissions to zero by 2030 in line with our climate emergency resolution.

RESOLVED that:

(1)            the draft action plan be subject to a targeted consultation with the Environment and Ecology Forum and the Climate Change cross-party Member Group

(2)            authority be delegated to the City Council Climate Change Manager, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment, to make any changes to the actions following the consultation referred to above prior to submitting a report to Full Council in early 2021.

(3)            the steps needed to move the whole City towards carbon neutrality by 2050 are noted as per the appendix report, and that officers continue to develop this city-wide action plan.

RECOMMENDED that:

(4)            subject to (1) and (2) above, the actions contained in the CLS report (appendix 1 of the report) are adopted as a plan for achieving the goal of net zero carbon emissions by the city council by 2030.

Cabinet considered the report of the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Environment that presented the findings of a report into how the City Council can reduce our carbon emissions to zero by 2030 in line with our climate emergency resolution.

The Leader of the Council outlined the background to the report, gave examples of actions being taken to reduce emissions and hoped that the City Council would demonstrate leadership in this matter.  The Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure drew Members’ attention to the report by CLS Energy (Appendix 1) and commented on its thoroughness, the importance of meeting the targets the administration has set itself and the expectation among residents that the challenges posed be risen to.  The Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Strategy reminded Members that the CLS Energy report described financial as well as environmental benefits to its recommendations.

RESOLVED that:

(1)            the draft action plan be subject to a targeted consultation with the Environment and Ecology Forum and the Climate Change cross-party Member Group

(2)            authority be delegated to the City Council Climate Change Manager, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment, to make any changes to the actions following the consultation referred to above prior to submitting a report to Full Council in early 2021.

(3)            the steps needed to move the whole City towards carbon neutrality by 2050 are noted as per the appendix report, and that officers continue to develop this city-wide action plan.

RECOMMENDED that:

(4)            subject to (1) and (2) above, the actions contained in the CLS report (appendix 1 of the report) are adopted as a plan for achieving the goal of net zero carbon emissions by the city council by 2030.