Issue - meetings

To receive the report of the Net Zero Project Manager.

The Net Zero Project Manager presented the report making the following points:

·         this was a six-monthly review and an assessment of the risk of carbon emissions;

·         the register was developed in July 2022 and reviewed six-monthly and included 2030 targets;

·         risks remained high and funding, capacity and skills were all issues;

·         this report linked to the carbon reduction plan and the net zero team worked with other services and target grants where appropriate; and

·         the recommendation was as set out in the report.

The Net Zero Project Manager, Chief Executive and Strategic Director for Place responded to questions from Members in the following terms:

·         funding potentially ending was a risk, but the role of the team was to bring together work across all services and there were several initiatives being delivered to help achieve targets and these would continue with or without the team;

·         in the last year SMB had seen this report and coordinated at that level meaning work to achieve targets was infused through all council services;

·         reports showed that SMB and the relevant Portfolio Holder would address carbon implications;

·         a review of the Green Travel Plan was underway, and the policy was outdated;

·         offsetting was a last resort and policy in relation to this would come forward with the costed Carbon Descent report; and

·         Parks and Green Spaces were working on a Biodiversity Strategy.

The Chair moved the recommendations, which were seconded by Councillor Atkinson, voted upon, and CARRIED unanimously.

RECOMMENDED that Council approve the updated Net Zero Risk Register.

RESOLVED that further work is underway to reduce risk, and the Council’s Costed Organisational Carbon Footprint projections be reported to Executive in June, will be fed into a service led Carbon Reduction Plan to progress with carbon

reduction measures.