Purpose

The purpose of this report is to seek Cabinet
approval for an update to the climate emergency action plan and
climate emergency declaration, to include consideration of a nature
emergency declaration and application to join the UK100 network.
Full Council will be asked to ratify this decision.

Content

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet:

 

a)            
approves and adopts the updated Climate Emergency
Action Plan (CEAP) structure as set out in Appendix A of report

PES/473, whilst noting the implications set out in section 9 of
report
PES/473.

 

b)            
agrees that the Council applies to be a member of
the UK100 organisation, and that this be included in the updated
Climate Emergency Declaration, and should the application be
successful:

 
i.              
That the Leader of the Council signs the UK100
membership pledge,
 
ii.             
That the Cabinet Member for Environment,
Sustainability and Climate Change be nominated as the Council’s representative
to the UK100 organisation, and 
 
iii.           
That the above Portfolio Holder Responsibilities be
amended to include this appointment within the
Constitution.
 
 
That Full Council be
recommended to approve and adopt the updated Climate Emergency
Declaration, which is accompanied by a new declaration of a Nature
Emergency (Appendix B of report
PES/473) and the ambition to join UK100. 

Reasons for the Recommendations
 
The Council is currently
committed to reduce all its carbon emissions by 50% by 2030, and to
net zero by 2040 at the latest. The proposed updated Declaration
would accelerate the reduction of emissions that are under the
Council’s direct control, whilst  allowing more
time for reducing the Council’s indirect emissions (procured
goods and services, and emissions from social housing and
commercial leased assets).

Declaring both a ‘climate
and nature emergency’ acknowledges the strong links between
climate change, biodiversity loss and air quality, and the
Council’s responsibility for halting biodiversity loss as
defined in the Environment Act 2021. It also acknowledges the
recently arisen opportunity for the Council to raise funding
through the planning process to invest in Biodiversity Net Gain
(BNG) within the borough.

Halting climate change cannot
be achieved in isolation, and joining the UK100 organisation will
provide opportunities to collaborate with other local authorities
in responding to climate change, strengthening the Council’s
voice in advocating to government for action on climate, and
improving its ability to access the funding needed for
decarbonisation.

The updated declaration
acknowledges the influence that the Council has over emissions and
biodiversity across the borough and will help to coordinate action,
whilst also acknowledging the dependencies outside of our
control.

The updated Climate Emergency
Action Plan is more delivery orientated with a clearer pathway for
the Council to reduce its own direct carbon emissions to net
zero.