Decision details

The Commission considered report PES/473 of the Head of Economy and Planning. The report sought approval for an update to the climate emergency action plan and climate emergency declaration, to include consideration of a nature emergency declaration and application to join the UK100 network.

During the discussion with the Leader of the Council, the Head of Economy and Planning and the Sustainability Manager, the following comments were made:

·         Recognition that the update to the climate emergency declaration would enable the Council to prioritise the reduction of those direct Scope 1 and 2 emissions over which the Council had more direct control.  The update also recognised the overall need to bring borough-wide emissions to net zero as quickly as possible.

·         Acknowledgement that the proposal to join UK100 network of local authorities aimed to build cross party consensus and commitment to action by advocating change to meet net zero, whilst benefiting from sharing knowledge and best practice, whilst shaping future policy.  Collaboration and partnership working with others would be essential to deliver net zero, hold each other to account, and speak with a collective voice. 

·         It was noted that the scope 3 emissions target to be net zero had been moved back to 2045 as the guidance for inclusion in scope 3 emissions had changed and incorporated a different measure. Emissions from leased assets, (both commercial and Crawley Homes) were not included in the analysis of council emissions that formed the evidence base for the original declaration and these scope 3 emissions had increased dramatically. The improvements required would not be able to be reached within original timescales.  It was also recognised that currently installed assets that had an embedded carbon footprint still had a life expectancy.

·         Recognition that whilst it was key to reduce carbon footprint as quickly as possible, achieving the net zero position was a challenge and the most ambitious element of the declaration was borough-wide emissions, where the council could potentially influence to accelerate decarbonisation across the borough to reach net zero by 2045. It would be important to engage widely across the borough.

·         Additional information was provided on the funding source for retrofitting costs and it was confirmed that the council would shortly be bidding for Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 3.

·         The proposal to include a Nature Emergency Declaration was welcomed, as the council had new statutory obligations to protect the natural environment and halt the loss of biodiversity.       

RESOLVED

That the Commission noted the report and requested that the views expressed during the debate, were fed back to the Cabinet through the Commission’s Comment sheet.