Issue - meetings

Report number:     CAB/WS/21/032

Portfolio holder: Councillor John Griffiths

Lead officer: Jill Korwin

Resolved

That:

1.           The proposed actions and activities in the Environment and Climate Change Actions Plans be approved, as set out in Appendix A to Report number CAB/WS/21/032.

2.           Future progress updates be provided as part of the Annual Environmental Statement, which formed part of the Council’s Annual Report.

3.           The full Environmental Statement for the Council’s 2020/21 performance be approved, as set out in Appendix B to Report number CAB/WS/21/032.

4.           The Suffolk Climate Emergency Plan be endorsed, as set out in Appendix C to Report Number CAB/WS/21/032.

(Report number CAB/WS/21/032)

The Cabinet considered this report which explained that, in September 2019, the Council declared a climate emergency, having already established the Environment and Climate Change Taskforce.  The aim of the Taskforce was to make recommendations on the Council’s future role in protecting and enhancing the way in which it carried out its operations and through specific initiatives.

In July 2020, the Cabinet also agreed an Action Plan, designed to implement the recommendations of the Taskforce and to be taken forward by Officers and overseen by Cabinet.  The Cabinet had also agreed to a review of progress against the actions.

The report updated the Cabinet on the progress in implementing the agreed actions from both reports and summarised some of the wider developments that had impacted upon the Council’s work in lowering carbon emissions and improving environmental impacts across the organisation.  It also included the full Environmental Statement, an annual summary of the Council’s performance with regards to the environment and climate change.  Finally, it also referenced the Suffolk Climate Emergency Plan that had been approved by the Suffolk Public Sector Leaders.

Councillor John Griffiths, Leader of the Council also drew relevant issues to the attention of Cabinet.  He was very pleased to be able to bring an update on the Action Plans and to share the progress that the Council had made to reduce its carbon footprint to net-zero and improve the environment.  The Leader thanked all the Cabinet Members for the work their service areas had done and also local Members who has supported community-based activities.

The Leader also referred to how the COVID pandemic had enforced new ways of working upon the Council, which had assisted with some of the particular environmental successes.  However, the Leader wished to specifically emphasise that the Council’s carbon emissions had been on a downward trajectory before COVID and, although, this may had accelerated the delivery, he was very confident that these improvements would have happened in any event and that the Council would have met its carbon budget target.  This had also provided the opportunity to continue with the new working practices, in particular remote meetings and the plan to return to the Offices only when necessary and to make agile working part of the Council’s new ‘normal’.

The Leader also wished to highlight the following particular achievements of the Council:

-      Securing of £1.4m of Government funding (from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund) to support a programme of works to decarbonise the Council’s estate (glazing, solar PV installations and sir source heat pumps at a number of council buildings).

-      In addition, it would support the installation of a new electrical infrastructure and a battery energy storage system to provide benefits to West Suffolk House in the short term and then support the energy provision for the new Western Way development.

-      Installation of 46 electric vehicle chargers across 15 locations.

-      Nearly 1,000 residents had signed up as volunteer litter pickers and the Council’s previous litter campaign  ...  view the full minutes text for item 264