Issue - items at meetings - Responding to The Council’s Climate Change Motion

The Corporate Director of Economy & Place to present a report which provides an update on the council’s response to the declaration of a Climate Emergency, highlighting work currently under way and recommending a set of activities to move this work forward.

Resolved: (i) That the significant activities and commitments already made in respect of the Climate Emergency agenda be noted.

Reason: To confirm that the Executive is aware of work carried out against this commitment of the Council.

(ii) That the following activities be requested, as set out in paragraph 35 of the report:

a) The Climate Change Policy & Scrutiny Committee to consider York refreshing its engagement with the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy;

b) Officers to investigate the potential for York’s participation in the developing network of UK Climate Emergency cities;

c) Officers to investigate how to engage with the newly established Local Government Association Climate Emergency Task and Finish Group, which will make recommendations on how the government can support councils in achieving climate emergency targets;

d) A further report to be developed regarding the emerging Carbon Reduction Plan, the timing of which will be determined by the Leader.

e) Reports in relation to the following investments made in the Emergency Budget to be brought to the Executive / Executive Member for Economy & Strategic Planning, as indicated below:

· To Executive:

o The Northern Forest, with this initiative to be signed up to by the council

o Building Insulation Programme

o Electric Charging Points.

· To the Executive Member:

o Additional capacity to speed up the production of Supplementary Planning Documents to support the Local Plan.

Reason: To allow the work in response to the Climate Emergency declaration to be progressed.

The Head of Corporate Policy and City Partnerships presented a report which responded to a motion approved by Council on 21 March 2019. The motion called on Executive to declare a Climate Emergency, commit to making York carbon neutral by 2030 and request a report within 6 months setting out actions to address this (Minute 68 of the Council meeting refers).

The report summarised actions already taken in recent years towards environmental sustainability (paragraphs 9-16), suggested steps needed to create and implement a Carbon Reduction Plan and emphasised the elements that would be key to its success, in including learning from others and partnership working. The following options were presented in order to develop the Plan towards carbon neutrality:

Option 1 – to request the actions detailed in paragraph 35 of the report;

Option 2 – to request additional or alternative actions.

Members welcomed the report and the progress already achieved, while recognising there was much still to do.