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:

annie.sommazzi@north-norfolk.gov.uk

Cllr N Lloyd – Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services, Climate Change and Environment introduced the report and informed Members that addressing climate change was crucially important. He added that failure to limit carbon emissions now, would result in higher costs at a later date, and it was therefore key to help reduce carbon emissions now and lead by example. It was stated that reducing the Council’s carbon emissions would require an organisation-wide approach to meet the objective of net zero by 2030. Cllr N Lloyd informed Members that the Strategy and Action Plan outlined the process by which this would be achieved, using an evidence based approach. The CEPM referred to the declaration of a climate emergency in April 2019, from which the Net Zero Strategy had arisen, and informed Members that the Council had worked with external consultants to determine the Council’s carbon baseline and develop the Strategy. She added that the Strategy would remain an agile document that could be updated as and when necessary to allow a flexible approach. It was noted that actions outlined in the Plan were yet to be costed, and funding would need to be agreed on a case by case basis, with some projects expected to generate modest savings. The CEPM stated that whilst the Strategy would feed into the Government’s 2050 target, it was not a legally binding document. She added that the Strategy would be promoted once approved, and any failure to adhere to the Strategy could result in reputational risk to the Council.

Questions and Discussion

       i.          The Chairman noted that the Strategy was a crucial element of the Corporate Plan and suggested that it was important that it was given adequate time and attention for Members to fully understand and be able to promote it. He added that it would be prudent to recommend that Members be provided with an additional briefing on the Strategy in advance approval by Council.

      ii.          Cllr S Penfold reiterated the Chairman’s comments and asked whether there was any opportunity to better establish Member’s role in the development and promotion of the Strategy. The Chairman asked whether this could be considered in advance of the Strategy being reviewed by Council. Cllr N Lloyd agreed that it should be given consideration, and noted that videos documenting the development of the Strategy were still available on YouTube, and further training could be provided, if requested.

     iii.          Cllr J Toye stated that he was cautious of the Strategy being too prescriptive with regards to Member involvement, and suggested that training should focus on what Members could do, rather than what they should. The Chairman agreed and noted that flexibility would be crucial for Member involvement as each ward had different requirements.

    iv.          Cllr P Heinrich sought assurances that the Strategy would be measured against recognised standards, and that monitoring would take place on at least an annual basis. Cllr N Lloyd replied that whilst carbon reduction strategies were an emerging area, the Council was using internationally recognised methods for converting energy usage into Carbon emissions data. The CEPM added that the Greenhouse Gas Protocol outlined the three scopes of emissions monitoring and calculations that had been used to develop the Strategy. It was noted that the Council had worked with experienced consultants to develop the Strategy to ensure best practice. Cllr P Heinrich asked how progress would be monitored, to which Cllr N Lloyd replied that emissions data would reported on annually. The ADSG added that a standardised system of collecting, monitoring and reporting data against annual targets would help to ensure the Council was on-track to achieve its 2030 target.

      v.          Cllr V Holliday said that the strategic aspects of the document were excellent, but asked whether the action plan could be prioritised, and whether a more graphic interpretation of the plan could be provided. She added that the visitor economy had also received little mention, despite being an enormous element of the District’s economy. Cllr N Lloyd agreed that prioritisation was an important point, with contracts and assets being the highest contributors to emissions that could be given higher priority. The CEPM added that the document was in draft form and it was expected that visual improvements would be made to the Strategy to make it clearer and easier to understand.

    vi.          Cllr A Brown noted the intention to develop a scorecard to see performance at a glance, and suggested that he would also expect performance to be included within quarterly performance reports.

   vii.          Cllr C Cushing suggested that it would be helpful to have actions prioritised with a timeframe for each project, to improve performance monitoring. He added that each project would likely have an associated cost, and asked when these would be known. Cllr N Lloyd replied that costs had not been included at this stage as the Strategy covered a nine year period within which costs could be expected to fluctuate. He added that achieving the net zero target would require capital expenditure, though many projects could also be expected to generate savings. It was suggested that projects could also be defined in terms of emissions reductions, rather than solely by cost, and this information could be prepared on an annual basis. The Chairman suggested that it may be helpful to include estimated costs within the MTFS subject to change, as this would allow for better financial preparation. It was confirmed that consideration would be given to including estimated costs.

  viii.          The Chairman reiterated comments regarding an all Member briefing and proposed that this be arranged in advance of the Strategy being considered by Full Council, to ensure that Members have a comprehensive understanding of the Strategy and how to promote it. The proposal was seconded by Cllr H Blathwayt, alongside a request for an evening session to be held for those unable to attend a briefing during work hours.

RESOLVED

1.     To recommend the adoption of the Draft Net Zero Strategy and Action Plan, subject to amendments suggested by the Committee.

2.     To request that an all Member briefing be arranged in advance of Cabinet and Council to ensure that Members have a comprehensive understanding of the Strategy and how to promote it.

ACTIONS

1.     Consideration to be given to including estimated costs of the Net Zero Strategy and Action Plan within the MTFS.