Agenda item

This paper provides an update on carbon reduction activity across the council over the last 12 months.

Members considered a report that provided an update on carbon reduction activity across the council over the last 12 months. The first York Climate Change Strategy (Annex A) provided the framework for collective action to realise the Council’s ambition and strategic objectives that the city would towards.

The Chair noted that the date of the meeting had been changed to include the attendance of the Executive Member for Environment and Climate Change and he recorded his frustration that the Executive Member had not sent her apologies to him. He felt that this did not help the Committee undertake its statutory duties.

The Head of Carbon Reduction explained that the council was on track to reduce our direct emissions to net zero by 2030 with good progress being made on the programme of carbon reduction activity underway. He explained that the climate change strategy was built on a robust evidence base and included the requirement to have carbon insetting and offsetting. He outlined the carbon reduction objectives noting that the climate change strategy was developed in line with the economic strategy and health and wellbeing strategy. He outlined consultation with stakeholders and the phases of consultation that had taken place as part of Our Big Conversation. He then detailed the projects undertaken as part of the carbon reduction strategy, including the new community woodland.

The Head of Carbon Reduction was asked and responded to questions as follows:

A Member asked if the council was talking to the Envirnpoment Agenvy regarding other upstream sites for tree planting to further mitigate flooding. The Head of Carbon Reduction responded that the council was looking to increase urban tree planting to increase the tree canopy to 13% across the city.

A Member asked if the if council’s direct emmissionss accounted for 4% of emiisions. The Head of Carbon Reduction noted that the council was working to reduce emmissions through partnerships.

A Member commented that god progress was being made on the hyperhubs.

A Member hightlighted that scammers were contacting residents about energy and the The Head of Carbon Reduction noted that the council was working with partners across the city to help vulnerable residents. This ibcluded working with York community energy and the council was llokuing to broaden this and could work with the scambusters team on this.

A Member noted that the Committee wanted to look at the net zero aspects of York Central. The Director for Economy Regeneration and Housing explained that the York Central outline planning permission included higher standards of sustainability than required by planning policy and inclided BREAMM excellent for commercial buildings. She added that the council’s housing would be zero carbon passivhaus. She explained that the council was in discussion with the landowners of the site regarding the passivhaus standards and the discussions regarding that had been received positively by the Chair and Chief Executive of Homes England. She added that the ambition had been articulated to the York Central Partnership.

A Member noted that there was no official strategy for York Central to be net zero. The Director Economy Regeneration and Housing noted that this would come through planning applications and she outlined the phases of engagement.

The Head of Carbon Reduction was asked and explained that the council was a little behind with engagement. He explained that engagement was targeting minorities, young people and disabilities groups as part of Our Big Conversation, and this would take place during Febrayry and March 2022. He then explained how the phases of the economic development strategy and climate change strategy were interlinked.

A Member asked what had been done to achieve net zero for council buildings. The Head of Climate Reduction explained that as part of public sector decarbonisation scheme grants, the council had to develop detailed decarbonisation plans and it was developing a tender specificically for the decarbonisation of buildings to help acquire funding through those grant schemes. He added in the councils portfolio of buildings it was looking at decarbonising 5-10 buildings which accounted for 80% of the council bulldings carbon emmissions.

A Member asked what could be done to educate residents with gardens on planting low maintenance trees and shrubs. The Head of Carbon Reduction reported that the council had run its free 500 Woodland Trust tree giveaway the previous week. This included a maintenance guide which would also be published on the council website. He added that there may be another opportunity for a tree giveaway later in the year,

The Head of Carbon Reduction was asked what the timetable for the hyperbubs was and he explained that there had been issues between the council and a third party and the unitlity company. He added that the work should be complete in two months.

A Member asked whether there had been any attempts to encourage private rentals and landlords to have energy efficient standards. The Head of Carbon Reduction noted that private landlords were very hard to reach and he added that housing colleagues had received funding to enforce the minimum energy efficiency standards. The Director Economy Regeneration and Housing added that in addition to this, the ouncil was in recipt of government funding fr retrofitting for the private rentak sector. She added that the licensing system for HMOs would help with standards for this.

In response to a question regarding flooding upstream, the The Director Economy Regeneration and Housing noted that York has been picked by DEFRA as one of 25 projects nationallu to look at flooding and as part of this they would look at the rivers Swale, Ure and Nidd, with tree planting being a part of this.

Regarding the use of 100% renerable energy, the Head of Climate Reduction noted that at any one time the council used a power mix.

The Chair asked Members for questions to the Executive Member for Environment and Climate Change. A Member noted that they would like yje Execitive Member to attend a meeting to explain the net zero aspect of York Centrak and for the committee to have information on this. A Member also asked what precisely was being cut from the climate change budget following the £100k budget reduction in climate change.

Members then;

Resolved: That the update on carbon reduction be noted.

Reason: In order to be kept up to date on carbon reduction.