Issue - meetings

To update the Executive Member on the progress of the Climate Change Action Plan.

Resolved:

i.             That the significant progress being made so far to take action on climate change and the Climate Action Update (Annex A), next steps, and contents of the report be noted.

Reason: To inform the Executive Member on the progress made on climate change action.

This report updated the Executive Member on the progress of the Climate Change Action Plan. The Assistant Director, Policy and Strategy was in attendance to present the report and respond to questions. The Assistant Director, Policy and Strategy was in attendance to present the report and respond to questions.

Key points raised in the presentation of the report included:

·        That £340 million had been invested in climate action in York across a range of initiatives.

·        That the action plan represented a baseline of measures which would develop into medium and long term actions to combat climate change.

·        That while the climate change budget had been reduced in 2022, this was because nearly £1 million of outside funding had been obtained through various capital funding bids, and therefore the money spent on climate change was still increasing.

·        That the Climate Change Strategy was integral to all council decision making and was fixed for 10 years.

Comments from the Executive Member included:

·        She thanked officers for their work on the report and reiterated the £345 million invested in climate change action, which had been obtained from central government and other areas.

·        She commented on some of the achievements the administration had made, including moving to 100% renewable electricity; replacing all <3.5t vehicles to electric within the next 3 years; a large increase in electric vehicle charging facilities in York; creating the largest community woodland in England; increasing urban tree cover; flood protection activity to protect 2,000 properties and an upstream project based on nature-based resilience to flooding.

·        She thanked all partners for their work and support.

Resolved:

i.             That the significant progress being made so far to take action on climate change and the Climate Action Update (Annex A), next steps, and contents of the report be noted.

Reason: To inform the Executive Member on the progress made on climate change action.