Issue - meetings

This report outlines the inter-relationships between: managing targets for carbon emissions; energy and water consumption and conservation; sustainability in design and construction, and suggests a funding mechanism for investment in all three of these areas.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the inter-relationships between managing targets for carbon emissions, energy and water consumption, and conservation and sustainability in design and construction be noted.

                        (ii)        That, with regard to management of proposals to meet aims and targets for carbon emissions, energy use and sustainability, Option B be approved; that is, a corporate and co-ordinated approach to management, funding and implementation.

                        (iii)       That, with regard to funding proposals to meet aims and targets for carbon emissions, energy use and sustainability, Option 2 be approved; that is, to establish a funding mechanism, within the usual budget disciplines, that supports a corporate and co-ordinated approach to the achievement and viable funding of targets.

REASON:      To ensure an improved and co-ordinated approach to the management of carbon emissions, energy usage and the sustainability of Council buildings.

Members considered a report which outlined the inter-relationships between:

• managing targets for carbon emissions
• energy and water consumption and conservation
• sustainability in design and construction

and suggested a funding mechanism for investment in all three of these areas.

The Council’s Carbon Management Group, Energy and Water Management Group and Sustainability in Design Group had been considering actions to achieve their respective aims, many of which could meet more than one of those aims.  In bringing forward these actions, there was a need to understand the balance between achieving the targets set and the capital and revenue costs of so doing.  Some examples were set out in paragraph 9 of the report and a more detailed comparison of investment proposals was provided in Annex 2.  Savings made through good management and ‘housekeeping’ could also be invested in measures to meet carbon, energy and sustainability targets.  Suggested principles for inclusion in the funding mechanism were set out in paragraph 17 and 18, while Annex 3 illustrated how the mechanism could operate.

The report presented the following options:

For the management of proposals to meet the aims and targets in the three areas referred to:

Option A – Continue to operate separately on each issue.

Option B – Take a corporate and co-ordinated approach to management, funding and implementation.

For funding proposals to meet aims and targets for carbon emissions, energy use and sustainability:

Option 1 – Consider each proposal on its own target and financial merits.

Option 2 – Establish a funding mechanism that supports a corporate and co-ordinated approach to the achievement and viable funding of targets.

In each case, the corporate and co-ordinated approach was recommended (i.e. Options B and 2), in order to secure the opportunities, benefits and economies of scale that such an approach would offer.

Having noted the comments of the Shadow Executive, it was

RESOLVED: (i)         That the inter-relationships between managing targets for carbon emissions, energy and water consumption, and conservation and sustainability in design and construction be noted.

                        (ii)        That, with regard to management of proposals to meet aims and targets for carbon emissions, energy use and sustainability, Option B be approved; that is, a corporate and co-ordinated approach to management, funding and implementation.¹

                        (iii)       That, with regard to funding proposals to meet aims and targets for carbon emissions, energy use and sustainability, Option 2 be approved; that is, to establish a funding mechanism, within the usual budget disciplines, that supports a corporate and co-ordinated approach to the achievement and viable funding of targets.²

REASON:      To ensure an improved and co-ordinated approach to the management of carbon emissions, energy usage and the sustainability of Council buildings.