Issue - meetings

This report presents the Emissions Inventory for the city of York. The data is used to monitor progress against the council ambition to achieve net zero carbon for the city by 2030.

Resolved: That the York Emissions Inventory Report be approved for publication.

Reason: To provide transparency of progress against the ambition for York to be net zero by 2030.

The Executive Member considered a report that presented the Emissions Inventory for the city of York, which would be used to monitor the progress towards the city’s 2030 net zero goal.

The Head of Carbon Reduction provided an overview noting that:

·        there was a 12% reduction in city-wide emissions from 2019 to 2020, due in part to restrictions on travel and services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

·        the report was based on UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GHGI) data, as the SCATTER tool had been temporarily discontinued. This did not significantly alter the outcome of the report, as GHGI was also used as the source data for SCATTER.

·        since the production of the report, the council had been notified that York had retained its A-List status as a climate-leading city with the international climate organisation CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project).

The Executive Member thanked the officer for the work on this issue, and in answer to her questions regarding opportunities for further reductions, the officer confirmed that:

·        the largest emissions reductions related to commercial premises and transport, and due to the rise of post-pandemic hybrid working, there was potential for those reductions to be maintained or reduced further.

·        public transport usage, alongside other modes of active travel, would be promoted more effectively.

Resolved:  That the York Emissions Inventory Report be approved for publication.

Reason:     To provide transparency of progress against the ambition for York to be net zero by 2030.