Issue - meetings

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.

6.1       The Environment Team Manager introduced the report. This is the second progress report on the implementation of the recommendations from the Scrutiny Review of Becoming a Carbon Neutral Council. The review focussed on the council’s scope 1 and scope 2 carbon emissions where the Council has better data and more control over emissions. Work is also underway to tackle scope 3 emissions, including from the Council’s supply chain (e.g. targets to reduce emissions have been included in the Highways maintenance contract, and free energy audits and grants are being offered to some smaller suppliers). Around one fifth of the recommendations have been completed with others ongoing due to the length of time needed to implement them. The updated corporate climate emergency action plan will inform how the additional resource of £3m per year up to 2024-25 to address the County Council’s carbon footprint will be spent.

6.2       The Committee discussed the report and a summary of the discussion and issues raised is given below.

Carbon Savings vs Costs

6.3       The Committee asked if there is a good understanding of carbon savings versus costs. The Environment Teams Manager outlined that there is a good understanding of the carbon savings of the proposals to reduce carbon emissions, however the costs are changing due to the economic climate. These can be reported back to the Place Scrutiny Committee Working Group and the costs per tonne will be included in the updated corporate climate emergency action plan.

De-carbonisation of heating

6.4       The Committee noted the two pilot projects to install heat pumps and carry out other energy efficiency measures at two schools in Herstmonceux and Ninfield. The Committee commented that heat pumps are generally good at maintaining an even temperature but not so good at rapid heating of spaces. Schools heating needs may require a boost to respond to when pupils arrive in the morning or later in the day. It asked if the heating systems being designed in the pilot projects could respond to this requirement (e.g. two phase heat pumps). It was clarified the pilots will consider this point and any lessons learnt. It was also outlined that the use of hydrogen ready boilers will be kept under review.

Carbon Offsetting and renewables

6.5       The carbon reduction hierarchy suggests taking steps to reduce emissions first and using offsetting last. However, if the Council wants to use offsetting then it would need to be involved early to achieve the benefits from things such as tree planting. It is probably best to take a multiple approach across all aspects of the carbon hierarchy, which includes carbon reduction measures and offsetting in order to achieve the Council’s climate change goals. It would be good to get a view from the Working Group on the approach to take to offsetting.

6.6       There is a fledgeling voluntary natural capital carbon offsetting market. This is a new type of market where landowners are encouraged to undertake tree planting, for example, and then offer the carbon offset on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport and the Chief Operating Officer.

21.1     The Director of Communities, Economy and Transport introduced the report and outlined that the report provides an update on the progress in implementing the thirty-seven recommendations that were agreed as part of the scrutiny review, which are linked to the actions detailed in the action plan in appendix 2 of the report. Work is progressing on the 37 recommendations, with 5 completed, 28 are ongoing and 4 have yet to be started. The report and appendices set out what has been achieved and the progress that has been made since the Council started work on reducing carbon emissions and outlines the use of the funding that has recently been allocated by Cabinet (appendix 3).

21.2     The Environment Team Manager summarised the background to the report. The report focusses on what the Council is doing about its own emissions and does not cover what it is doing externally on issues such as transport and waste. The Council is working towards a science-based target of reducing carbon emissions by an average of 13% per year. This target is the rate of change that is required across the County in order that it contributes towards the target of limiting climate change to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius compared with pre-industrial levels.

21.3     Organisations break down their carbon emissions into a number of categories, which for the Council includes scope 1, scope 2 and scope 3 emissions. Scope 1 and 2 emissions are those broadly from activities the Council controls directly such as the energy used to heat corporate buildings. Scope 3 emissions are from any other sources which are mainly from supplies and services the Council buys.

21.4     Work has focussed firstly on scope 1 and 2 emissions as the Council has much better data on them and has more control over them, which means there is a greater ability to achieve reductions. The work also recognises how important it is to tackle scope 3 emissions as they represent a larger proportion of the Council’s overall emissions. Although the Council is at the start of its work on scope 3 emissions, more work is being undertaken such as:

·         The work being undertaken across the Orbis Partnership to increase expertise and capacity in reducing emissions from procurement.

·         Beginning to build in specific carbon reduction requirements into the Council’s contracts, such as the Highways Maintenance contract re-procurement where the contractor will be required to reduce emissions by 13% per annum in line with the corporate target.

·         For smaller, local suppliers who may need support to meet contractual requirements to reduce emissions, the Council is offering free energy audits and energy efficiency grants over the next 18 months.

21.5     This represents a mix of measures across the Council’s supply chain in order to help them take as much action on emissions as they can. Although work has started to reduce scope 3 emissions from the supply chain, due to the scale and complexity of the supply chain it is going to take some time.

Progress  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21

Report by Assistant Chief Executive

39.1     The Cabinet considered a report by the Place Scrutiny Committee and a joint report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport and Chief Operating Officer with observations on the Scrutiny Committee’s report.

39.2 It was RESOLVED to:

1) note and welcome the report of the Scrutiny Committee; and

2) recommend the County Council to welcome the report of the Scrutiny Committee and to agree the response of the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport and Chief Operating Officer  to the recommendations and their implementation as set out in the action plan attached as Appendix 1 to the Director’s report; and

3) agree to moving the annual report to full Council on progress in delivering the climate emergency plan from May to October each year.

Reason

39.3 The Scrutiny review has been welcomed as it provides an opportunity to review the climate emergency plan.

Report by the Review Board.

15.1     Councillor Martin Clarke, Chair of the Review Board, introduced the report. The review is structured around the Council’s Climate Emergency Plan examining the actions necessary for the Council to become carbon neutral in its own operations. The Review Board makes a number of recommendations which fall into three categories:

• Recommendations where the Council has direct control to make the necessary changes;
• Recommendations for specific projects to show what can be done and to act as examples of best practice; and
• Recommendations where the Council can influence others, or to lobby for policy changes and resources to tackle climate change.

15.2     The Review Board is conscious of the financial pressures the Council is under and the cost implications of implementing the recommendations should be assessed through the Council’s Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources (RPPR) budget setting process where the long and short term economic, social, environmental and carbon impacts can be taken into account. The Chair of the Review Board thanked the witnesses and officers involved in the review and the Lead Members for their comments on the draft report.

15.3     The Committee discussed the report of the Review Board. The Committee commented that there are fast moving changes in technology and policy in this area, and it will be important that the outcomes of the review allow flexibility in response to these changes.  The review is one of the first to be undertaken using remote meeting technology which worked really well, enabling the Review Board to speak to a wide range of witnesses and cover at lot of material in a short space of time. It was noted that where the Council is seeking to move away from the use of fossil fuels for heating and vehicles, there is some overlap with the requests the Council receives to divest the East Sussex Pension Fund from investments in fossil fuels.

15.4     The Director of Communities, Economy and Transport commented on the fast moving policy environment and drew the Committee’s attention to the Government’s recently announced Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution which echoes some of the topics explored in the review.  The Ten Point Plan covers areas such as:

• Advancing the development of off-shore wind power;
• Driving the growth of low carbon hydrogen;
• Stopping the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030;
• Investment in green public transport, cycling and walking;
• Greener buildings; and
• Protecting the natural environment.

15.5     The Committee commented that it welcomed the report of the Review Board and wished to endorse it.

15.6     The Committee RESOLVED to endorse the report of the Review Board, and make recommendations to Cabinet for comment, and County Council for approval.