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There was one recommendation
from Overview and Scrutiny Committee relating to a report the
Committee had considered on the Climate and Ecological Emergency
meeting held on 6 January
2025
 
Recommendation - That
the Council ensures that it has processes in place for testing and
developing the value of the work it is undertaking on the climate
and ecological emergency with a view to providing positive ongoing
investment in this field.
 
 
The Chair stated that the
recommendation was accepted.  The
Council has adopted governance and decision-making processes that
give significant priority to climate change. All reports prepared
for decision-making purposes now include a mandatory section on the
implications for the Climate and Ecological Emergencies.
Additionally, the council is trialling a Sustainability Impact
Assessment Tool, designed to ensure that sustainability
considerations are reviewed at key stages of projects including the
design stage when beneficial changes can still be made. The tool
ensures for example that: the carbon implications of
building/operating new buildings is assessed; opportunities to
mitigate negative impacts by design are identified; facilities and
access to sustainable transport are provided; and ecological
enhancement in site landscaping is maximised