Issue - meetings

To receive and review a report on the Council’s Climate Emergency Programme.

To receive and review a report on the Council’s Climate Emergency Programme. This report will include the Climate Action Implementation Plan.

7.1       The Commission received a written and short verbal update from Amy Jones (Director of Environment) who provided an update on the Council’s Climate Emergency Programme.

7.2       The Commission discussed the following topics in detail:

•           The incineration of recycling waste and the Councils programme of work to encourage more recycling across the City.

•           Accountability on climate pledges and the Councils pledge to plant 2000 trees

•           Measuring the impact of climate reduction and carbon offset initiatives across the City.

•           Communal heating in tower blocks and encouraging residents to use heating appropriately.

•           Future iterations of planning policy and how the Council can ensure it is as environmentally friendly as possible.

7.3       Concerning recycling rates across the City, the Commission were informed that the Council are conducting several pilots to encourage residents and businesses to recycle. These include door knocking and better communication from the Council.

7.4       The Commission discussed the accountability of climate pledges with particular reference to the Council’s pledge to plant 2000 trees. The Leader of the Council acknowledged that this was a challenging pledge and enlisted the help of ward councillors to suggest locations of where these trees can be planted.

7.5       The Commission discussed that the Climate Emergency Action Plan was a living a document and the Council were learning and testing new ideas to tackle climate change regularly. The Commission discussed the importance of measuring impact, it was acknowledged that this was challenging to do as a City as a whole as the majority of emissions come from buildings not in the Councils control.

7.6       It was noted that the Council are working in partnership with businesses and local landowners in particular to address emissions produced from listed buildings. The Commission were informed that the Council and local partners were about to launch the Sustainable City Charter.

7.7       Members of the Commission asked Officers about communal heating in residential blocks. Members informed Officers that the communal areas of the residential blocks often got very hot and discussed what environmental impact this was having. The Commission discussed the balance between ensuring residents, including vulnerable residents, had access to heating throughout the winter and the environmental impact heating residential blocks has.

7.8       Concerning future iterations of planning policy, the Commission were discussing what levers the council had at their disposal to reduce carbon emissions.

7.9       RESOLVED: that the Committee note the report.