Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Director of Culture, Communities and Business Services giving an update on progress made in reducing the County Council’s carbon emissions and the ongoing programmes of work to achieve this.

The Panel considered a report of the Director of Culture, Communities and Business Services Department (Item 9 in the Minute Book) giving an update on progress made in reducing the County Council’s carbon emissions and the ongoing programmes of work to achieve this.

The Director highlighted the main points of the report including excellent progress towards meeting the 2025 carbon emission target; the ongoing success of the many energy reduction programmes and the changes to the Climate Change Levy (replaced the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) scheme) which will be charged on all energy used by all consumers, unlike CRC which applied only to large consumers of energy in the public and private sectors like the County Council.

A number of questions were answered in relation to Carbon emissions for staff travel and street lighting shown in paragraph 25 of the report.

It was noted that a number of school sites were being considered with regard to electric vehicle charging points to ensure a network of suitable locations for Council Services and staff for business use.

RESOLVED:

That:

1.    The positive achievements of the Carbon Management Strategy Phase 2 reduction of 3.1% year on year, with an overall reduction of 43.3% against the 2025 target of 50% be noted.

2.    The further £230,000 of carbon tax reductions in Phase 2 be noted.

3.    A further saving of £300,000 in energy costs over the past year be noted.

4.    The good progress in Energy Performance Programmes Phases 4 and 5 be noted.

5.    The positive engagement with schools be noted.

6.    The Panel recommends to the Executive Member for Policy and Resources that projects totalling £610,000 be added to the capital programme funded from the remaining £1.11 million of the previously identified £7m capital funding identified for green energy and energy saving initiatives. The projects would support the further expansion and development of the electric vehicle infrastructure, further Solar PV and battery storage in support of the carbon reduction and energy saving targets for HCC’s corporate estate.

7.    The Panel recommends to the Executive Member for Policy and Resources that approval be sought from Cabinet to use the remaining £0.5 million of this investment to create a £1million De-Carbonisation Clean Growth energy recycling fund with 50:50 match funding basis through Salix Finance.

8.      The Panel endorses the commitment made to sign up to the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) Emissions Reduction Pledge 2020.