Agenda item

LIST OF BACKGROUND PAPERS AS REQUIRED BY LAW

(Papers relied on to write the report, which do not contain exempt information and which are not published elsewhere)

Contact Officer:

Environmental Policy Officer

annie.sommazzi@north-norfolk.gov.uk

Cllr N Lloyd - Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services, Climate Change and Environment introduced the report and thanked officers for their efforts preparing the draft Charter. The EPO stated that following the declaration of a climate emergency, the Council had committed to developing an Environmental Charter, which had been prepared following the employment the Climate Change and Environment Team. It was noted that workshops had been held to consult with staff and Members during the development of the Charter, which sought to outline the rights, aims and principles aims of the organisation. The EPO informed Members that the Charter had been built around three main chapters, the first of which was delivering change across the Council’s own estate, in order to achieve the target of net zero carbon emissions by 2030. The next chapter outlined the Council’s role as a community leader and influencer, in order to support communities in addressing the challenges of climate change. The final chapter focused on supporting individuals, to help residents understand what they could do to help limit the effects of climate change. It was noted that an Environment Forum meeting was scheduled to take place on 23^rd April, where the draft Charter would be shared for public consultation. The EPO provided a summary of the remaining points of the Charter, and stated that the recommendation requested that the Committee endorse the document for further consultation, prior to final amendments and approval by Cabinet.

Questions and Discussion

       i.          Cllr H Blathwayt stated that he welcomed the progress on the Charter, and asked whether quarterly updates should be considered to monitor its implementation. The Chairman noted that the progress of implementation would be covered as part of normal performance monitoring. The ADSG stated that an action plan would follow once the Charter was approved, which would contain measurable targets that could be monitored using the InPhase system.

      ii.          Cllr G Mancini-Boyle thanked officers and expressed his support for the Charter, then asked how closely the Environment and Climate Change Officers would work with the Planning Department to achieve its aims. The ADSG replied that the recent restructure had allowed for much closer working with the Planning Department under the Directorate of Place, and it was expected that there would be good cooperation between the officers involved to achieve the aims of the Charter.

     iii.          Cllr L Withington stated that the development of the Charter had been exemplary, and this was clear in the quality of the document. She added that she was also pleased to hear how the restructure would enable the organisation to achieve the aims of the Charter.

    iv.          Cllr N Lloyd stated that he was pleased to see that officers from across the organisation had embraced the green agenda, and had been highly supportive during the development of the Charter. He added that the new Local Plan would be the Council’s greenest ever, and would allow for further development of green policies and innovation in the future, which would make a significant difference to reducing carbon emissions in the District.

      v.          Cllr A Brown thanked officers for their work and endorsed the Charter, then noted that PPBH WP had recently reviewed the Local Plan policies relating to renewable energy, which now went above and beyond Government guidelines.

    vi.          Cllr J Toye stated as Planning Portfolio Holder that he continued to work with officers to make further improvements to policy, in order to support the Charter and make environmental improvements across the District.

   vii.          The Chairman stated that he welcomed the document and asked whether it would be possible to make some additions to the draft Charter, such as a marking system or criteria, to support residents and businesses to achieve environmental aims. He added that criteria such as energy conservation, renewable energy generation, water usage, reduction of single use materials and flood mitigation could be used to engage businesses, whilst increasing awareness of these issues . The EPO replied that there was significant merit in the proposal, and suggested that it could be used as a means to promote environmental excellence. She added that there was potential to use the Charter as a tool to enable and influence change, and suggested that a similar system to the food hygiene ratings could potentially be implemented in the future. The ADSG stated that he was fully supportive of the idea, as a means to incentivise the actions outlined in the Charter, in addition to events such as Greenbuild.

  viii.          Cllr N Housden stated that he liked to see specifics and suggested that a vital aspect missing from the Charter was education, which had to be addressed. He added that the tree planting project, whilst positive also required more detail, as 30k hectares per year was required to meet the 2050 climate targets. It was suggested that greater detail and specifics would help people to better understand the dangers of climate change, such as the rate at which sea levels were rising. The EPO stated that the Charter did mention carbon literacy and engagement, but accepted that there was a need for education to be more explicit within the Charter, to help residents meet the challenges of climate change.

    ix.          Cllr A Brown stated that he was supportive of proposals for a quality assurance system, and asked whether outside assurance bodies could be used to avoid criticism. The Chairman replied that the proposals would need development, and whilst external consultation would likely be considered as part of the process, it might be too early to consider at this stage. He added that primarily, some form of accreditation was needed to start businesses thinking about their environmental credentials. The ADSG stated that he would begin to look at accreditation systems elsewhere, and consider what options were available.

      x.          Cllr N Lloyd stated that whilst the net zero carbon target applied to the Council estate, efforts would be made to lower emissions in the community and the second and third chapters of the Charter sought to address this.

    xi.          The Chairman summarised potential recommendations including the consideration of an environmental accreditation system, and the development of educational aspects of the Charter.

   xii.          Cllr H Blathwayt suggested that the UEA Tyndall Centre could be an option to consider for developing an environmental accreditation system.

  xiii.          Cllr L Withington suggested that the recommendations should allow flexibility for officers to review options, in case accreditation systems were already available.

 xiv.          It was proposed by Cllr N Housden and seconded by Cllr H Blathwayt that consideration be given to developing a marking system to provide accreditation on various environmental standards, that consideration be given to develop the educational aspects of the Charter, and that the Charter be endorsed for consultation.

RESOLVED

1.     To recommend to Cabinet that consideration is given to developing and including a Charter Mark system setting standards across the spectrum of environmental improvements sought, such as: Energy Conservation; Renewable Energy Generation and Storage; Water Capture, Usage and Quality; Flood Prevention and Mitigation, Reductions in Single Use Materials and Carbon Capture projects. Such a system should link up with relevant Planning Policy standards, include an annual award/recognition scheme and seek accreditation with an external environmental body.

2.     To recommend to Cabinet that consideration is given to increasing the educational and public engagement opportunities to promote active commitment to the Charter and the wider climate change agenda..

3.     To endorse the draft Environmental Charter for consultation with the Environment Forum, prior to a revised draft being considered by Cabinet and Council for adoption.