Issue - meetings

To consider a progress report following the Council’s decision to declare a Climate Emergency.

The Committee considered a report, set out at Agenda pages 15 to 20, which gave details of progress following the Council’s decision to declare a Climate Emergency.

Councillor Gregor Murray, Executive Member for Climate Emergency, attended the meeting to present the report and answer Member questions.

The report stated that the Climate Emergency Motion was approved by the full Council at its meeting on 18 July 2019. The Motion stated that the Council would play as full a role as possible – leading by example as well as by exhortation – in achieving a carbon neutral Wokingham by 2030 with a report back within six months on the actions required.

In order to develop the Council’s approach work was underway to produce a Climate Emergency Action Plan. This involved working with Council departments, residents, community groups, schools and the business community. The Action Plan would explore all potential methods to reduce carbon emissions, including ways to generate renewable energy, carbon offsetting through tree planting and the application of new and emerging technologies.

The Action Plan would seek to achieve some quick wins with a phased approach to initiatives which required longer term planning and implementation. The Council would be leading by example through the prioritisation of work on its own facilities and estate.

A cross-party Member steering group had also been established in order to monitor progress and support the development of the Action Plan, which would be submitted to the Council at its meeting in January 2020.

The report gave details of the work already being undertaken by the Council to reduce its carbon emissions, viz:

·                A 25% target for the procurement of green energy from renewable sources;

·                Installing solar panels on Council buildings (31 sites to date);

·                Investing in energy-efficient plant and equipment in Council buildings;

·                Enabling more sustainable travel through enhancements to pedestrian, cycle and bus routes;

·                Promotion of increased recycling and reduced levels of waste (including food waste) sent to landfill.

Councillor Murray stated that the Climate Emergency Action Plan would focus on four key areas:

Structure and Governance – establishment of a cross-party Climate Emergency Working Group which would meet for the first time on 14 October 2019. The working group would also include representatives from Town and Parish Councils and the Borough’s Youth MP. The Council was also seeking to recruit a Climate Emergency Strategy and Commissioning Officer to support the development of the Climate Emergency Action Plan.

Establishing the Borough’s carbon footprint – the most recent Government figures on emissions in the Borough (2017) indicated carbon dioxide emissions of 771 thousand tonnes (kt). Discussions were ongoing with scientists at Reading University and other local authorities to establish an up-to-date assessment of the Borough’s total carbon footprint. Similar calculations would be carried out for the Borough’s Town and Parish areas.

Climate Emergency Action Plan – work on the action plan was underway with over 200 potential points already under consideration. It was hoped that a wide range of residents, community groups, schools, Town and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43