9 Updated Climate Emergency Action Plan and Climate Emergency Declaration PDF 110 KB
Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change Portfolio
To consider report PES/473 of the Head of Economy and Planning, which was referred to the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Commission on 25 November 2024.
Additional documents:
Decision:
RESOLVED
That the Cabinet:
a) approves and adopts the updated Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP) structure as set out in Appendix A of report PES/473, whilst noting the implications set out in section 9 of report PES/473.
b) agrees that the Council applies to be a member of the UK100 organisation, and that this be included in the updated Climate Emergency Declaration, and should the application be successful:
i. That the Leader of the Council signs the UK100 membership pledge,
ii. That the Cabinet Member for Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change be nominated as the Council’s representative to the UK100 organisation, and
iii. That the above Portfolio Holder Responsibilities be amended to include this appointment within the Constitution.
That Full Council be recommended to approve and adopt the updated Climate Emergency Declaration, which is accompanied by a new declaration of a Nature Emergency (Appendix B of report PES/473) and the ambition to join UK100.
Reasons for the Recommendations
The Council is currently committed to reduce all its carbon emissions by 50% by 2030, and to net zero by 2040 at the latest. The proposed updated Declaration would accelerate the reduction of emissions that are under the Council’s direct control, whilst allowing more time for reducing the Council’s indirect emissions (procured goods and services, and emissions from social housing and commercial leased assets).
Declaring both a ‘climate and nature emergency’ acknowledges the strong links between climate change, biodiversity loss and air quality, and the Council’s responsibility for halting biodiversity loss as defined in the Environment Act 2021. It also acknowledges the recently arisen opportunity for the Council to raise funding through the planning process to invest in Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) within the borough.
Halting climate change cannot be achieved in isolation, and joining the UK100 organisation will provide opportunities to collaborate with other local authorities in responding to climate change, strengthening the Council’s voice in advocating to government for action on climate, and improving its ability to access the funding needed for decarbonisation.
The updated declaration acknowledges the influence that the Council has over emissions and biodiversity across the borough and will help to coordinate action, whilst also acknowledging the dependencies outside of our control.
The updated Climate Emergency Action Plan is more delivery orientated with a clearer pathway for the Council to reduce its own direct carbon emissions to net zero.
Minutes:
The Cabinet Member for Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change presented report PES/473 of the Head of Economy and Planning. The report sought Cabinet approval for an update to the Climate Emergency Action Plan and Climate Emergency Declaration, to include consideration of a nature emergency declaration and an application to join the UK100 network. Full Council will be asked to ratify this decision.
Councillor Ayling presented the Overview and Scrutiny Commission’s comments on the report to the Cabinet following consideration of the matter at its meeting on 25 November 2024, which included that they welcomed the additions of the
Declaration of a Nature Emergency.
Councillors S Mullins, C Mullins and Jones spoke as part of the discussion on the report, with them expressing their support for the ambitious targets contained within the updated Action Plan and to the Climate Emergency Declaration. They also declared their support for the inclusion of the Nature Emergency Declaration.
RESOLVED
That the Cabinet:
a) approves and adopts the updated Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP) structure as set out in Appendix A of report PES/473, whilst noting the implications set out in section 9 of report PES/473.
b) agrees that the Council applies to be a member of the UK100 organisation, and that this be included in the updated Climate Emergency Declaration, and should the application be successful:
i. That the Leader of the Council signs the UK100 membership pledge,
ii. That the Cabinet Member for Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change be nominated as the Council’s representative to the UK100 organisation, and
iii. That the above Portfolio Holder Responsibilities be amended to include this appointment within the Constitution.
That Full Council be recommended to approve and adopt the updated Climate Emergency Declaration, which is accompanied by a new declaration of a Nature Emergency (Appendix B of report PES/473) and the ambition to join UK100.
Reasons for the Recommendations
The Council is currently committed to reduce all its carbon emissions by 50% by 2030, and to net zero by 2040 at the latest. The proposed updated Declaration would accelerate the reduction of emissions that are under the Council’s direct control, whilst allowing more time for reducing the Council’s indirect emissions (procured goods and services, and emissions from social housing and commercial leased assets).
Declaring both a ‘climate and nature emergency’ acknowledges the strong links between climate change, biodiversity loss and air quality, and the Council’s responsibility for halting biodiversity loss as defined in the Environment Act 2021. It also acknowledges the recently arisen opportunity for the Council to raise funding through the planning process to invest in Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) within the borough.
Halting climate change cannot be achieved in isolation, and joining the UK100 organisation will provide opportunities to collaborate with other local authorities in responding to climate change, strengthening the Council’s voice in advocating to government for action on climate, and improving its ability to access the funding needed for decarbonisation.
The updated declaration acknowledges the influence that the Council has over ... view the full minutes text for item 9
9 Updated Climate Emergency Action Plan and Climate Emergency Declaration PDF 110 KB
To consider report PES/473 of the Head of Ecomony and Planning.
Additional documents:
Minutes:
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.