Issue - meetings

To consider progress on the Council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan.

The Committee considered a report, set out at Agenda pages 13 to 64, which gave details of the Council’s initial Climate Emergency Action Plan. The Action Plan set out the initial steps that the Council would take on the journey to achieving net zero carbon by 2030.

The report stated that the Council had passed a Motion declaring a Climate Emergency at its meeting on 18 July 2019. Work had been carried out to establish a baseline of carbon emissions for the Borough. Wokingham Borough’s carbon footprint was 580.9 ktCO2e (based on 2017 data). This calculation did not include areas outside the Council’s influence such as carbon emissions from motorways and rail travel.

The Council had identified eight key priority areas to pursue as follows:

·           Reducing Carbon Dioxide emissions from transport;

·           Reducing Carbon Dioxide emissions from domestic and business property (the Green Bank project);

·           Generating more renewable energy;

·           Creating a Local Plan which specifies Net Zero construction and infrastructure;

·           Increasing the levels of Carbon Sequestration by greening the environment;

·           Engaging with young people and supporting sustainable schools;

·           Reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill;

·           Encouraging behaviour change across the Borough.

The initial Action Plan had been developed using ideas from local residents, Town and Parish Councils, businesses, schools and Council Officers. The report stated that the Council had committed £50m over the next three years (subject to Council Budget approval) for implementation of the initiatives in the Action Plan.

Following approval of the initial Action Plan by the Council an annual progress report would be submitted to Council, commencing in July 2020. The progress report would include a fully costed action plan with carbon saving quotas against individual projects.

It was proposed by Sarah Kerr and seconded by Paul Fishwick that a report be submitted to the next meeting of the Committee setting out options for effective scrutiny of the Climate Emergency Action Plan, one option being the establishment of a separate Climate Emergency Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Upon being put to the vote, the proposal was agreed.

The Committee considered the initial Climate Emergency Action Plan and Members made the following points:

What steps would be taken to replace gas appliances in residents’ homes? Would the proposed solar farms be able to generate enough alternative energy? Gregor Murray stated that the proposed Green Bank would support residents in behaviour change including investment on the replacement of gas boilers with energy efficient electric boilers. Solar panels on the roofs of properties would also help to reduce emissions from domestic gas.

Paul Fishwick stated that, as this was the “initial” Climate Emergency Action Plan, the recommendation in the report should be amended to reflect that status. Gregor Murray accepted this point and undertook to amend the recommendation to Council to refer to the “initial” Climate Emergency Action Plan.

In relation to the charts and table on Pages 26/27 of the Agenda, what modelling had been carried out to identify the predicted and target carbon emissions? Gregor Murray stated  ...  view the full minutes text for item 66