Minutes:
24.1 The Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, Cllr Urquhart, introduced the item, reminding members of the County Council’s commitment to be net zero on carbon emissions by 2030. This commitment underpinned all operations and the Council Plan, and the report set out progress, focussing on the County Council estate, and the challenges faced.
24.2 The Assistant Director (Environment and Public Protection), Mr Read, outlined that the Committee’s views were being sought on whether the right linkages were being made, whether the approach was coherent, whether the right data was being collected and whether the authority remained on track to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
24.3 Members of the Committee then asked questions and a summary of those questions and answers follows.
24.4 Although most UK local authorities had adopted a climate change policy or equivalent, there was a wide variation in priorities, targets, and timelines. Currently there was no national standard set of data to enable benchmarking. Through discussion with other authorities in the South East 7 group (SE7) and other groups it was hoped to be able to benchmark where we could. It was agreed data needed to consider carbon reduction as well as cost elements.
24.5 The most effective way of spending money was not just to invest in reducing direct emissions but, for example, to look to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels in the longer term. The development of a medium-term strategy over the next 6-12 months would help identify the projects over which the Council has control. A large amount of emissions arise from the County Council’s supply chain. We have identified the top 25 contractors and are starting to examine how it could be feasible to reduce the emissions associated with them. We are also working to ensure, through the Procurement Team, better contracts with future suppliers, many of whom are working towards similar goals. Transport for pupils with special educational needs was identified as an area for potential improvement.
24.6 The Smarter Working Programme had looked at the future demand for office space and highlighted the need for smaller, more modern working accommodation. The Council did not want to spend funds on decarbonising buildings which had no long-term future. To eliminate the dependency on fossil fuels, schemes were being considered, such as removing and replacing gas boilers with more modern efficient options (reducing heat leakage) and alternative energy sources, e.g. solar power. At the next update officers would provide some specific case studies for buildings.
24.7 Whilst good progress was being made in County Council buildings more work was needed on the wide range of commercial assets owned. These can vary from a parcel of empty land to a fully functioning office block. Work is in hand to survey all assets, to assess contractual conditions and durations of occupancy, in order see how carbon emission reductions can be handled. Areas of good practice would be shared with other tenants to help and encourage them.
24.8 For areas where there is low confidence in the data, often caused by the absence of data, data sets could often be obtained from other areas, e.g. suppliers, who often held data and this also helped send a signal that the Council wants to take action. This meant that areas of low confidence could be prioritised. Discussions with Cabinet and the executive leadership also helped to focus limited resources to areas that could show a demonstrable difference.
24.9 Partnership working takes place through the Inter-Authority Climate Change Board, chaired by the Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, Cllr Urquhart, and attended by representatives from district and borough councils, the South Downs National Park Authority, and other stakeholders. The option of community engagement through online tools is being explored. This could start conversations to help understand community priorities. Discussions with the NHS are also underway and these will subsequently expand to include private sector partners.
24.10 Once County Council estate buildings are disposed of there would be no responsibility for any environmental impact. Any new building on sites sold would need to meet the higher carbon standards that now exist. Academy schools have their own distinct governance and would do their own scrutinising and monitoring of carbon emissions. With the Government’s aim that all schools become academies in future, there might be no future specific duty for the County Council unless there was a maintenance agreement in place, through which agreement could be sought to enhance any future measures.
24.11 A model is being built on carbon sequestration through tree planting and other options. It is likely that there will not be enough County Council land for the offsetting required and work would need to be done in collaboration with others. A Member asked if planting trees for carbon sequestration would have any impact on balancing the number of trees removed from highways land for reasons of safety or disease.
24.12 Climate change has been part of the decision-making process for some time now and is considered in every decision made within the Council. Work is also being done to build climate change considerations into the business planning process.
24.13 The Chairman thanked the Cabinet Member and officers for the report and for answering questions so fully.
24.14 Resolved – That the Committee recognised there were no national standard datasets but that officers were striving to establish data of a high standard.