The Environment and Transport Cabinet Committee are scheduled to meet on Tuesday 4 November 2025 to discuss a range of environment and transport issues. These include waste management, green finance, water resources, highway maintenance, and energy efficiency.

Energy Efficiency Plan

The committee will be asked to consider an Energy Efficiency Plan Report for Kent County Council's (KCC) estate and operations. The plan is proposed to replace KCC's Net Zero Plan and 2030 Net Zero target.

The report states that KCC has reduced its estate and operation emissions by 55% since 2019, saving millions through energy upgrades and solar farms. However, meeting the remaining 50% of the Net Zero target by 2030 presents KCC with financial and technological challenges.

The proposed plan focuses on financial returns, new revenue streams and continued emissions reductions where possible. The key principles of the plan are to be financially focused, pragmatic, efficient and solutions-led.

The committee will be asked to consider adopting the Energy Efficiency Plan and delegating authority to the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport, Simon Jones, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for (the Kent) Environment, David Wimble, to refresh and/or make revisions to the plan as appropriate during its lifetime.

Waste Management in Kent

The committee will be briefed on waste management in Kent. The ETCC Waste Update Briefing paper provides an update on national waste reforms and considers the impacts on KCC performance and budgets, including the latest position regarding funding from Extended Producer Responsibility¹.

The briefing also explains that there is an overarching focus on reducing residual waste, through increasing recycling at kerbside. This will require working in partnership with district and borough councils in new and innovative ways that share risk and reward, viewing collection and disposal as a whole waste system.

The committee will be asked to note and comment on the report.

Procurement of Contracts

The committee will be asked to consider a number of items related to the procurement of contracts for:

• Highway Emergency Tree Works
• Receipt and Processing of Wood Waste

Highway Emergency Tree Works Contract

The committee will be asked to consider and endorse or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, Peter Osborne, on the proposed decision to approve the procurement and award of a new Emergency Tree Works contract for up to five years, with an opportunity to extend this for up to three further years.

The Emergency Tree ETCC Report states that the current contract is operating under an 18-month extension period, which will conclude on 31 March 2026. There are no further extension options, and a new contract is required to be in place for 1 April 2026.

The report also details the procurement strategy options appraisal, which considered splitting the contract into three lots (west, mid and east), splitting the contract into two lots (current provision), and countywide delivery. The report recommends a two-lot delivery model, with Lot 1 (West) covering Maidstone, Dartford, Gravesham, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Malling and Tunbridge Wells, and Lot 2 (East) covering Ashford, Swale, Canterbury, Thanet, Dover and Folkestone and Hythe.

Procurement for the Receipt and Processing of Wood Waste Contract Countywide

The committee will be asked to consider and endorse or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member for (the Kent) Environment, David Wimble, to approve the procurement and contract award of a wood processing contract for an initial five years (plus an extension of up to two years).

The Report Wood Processing CN260428 ETCC Report states that the existing contract held by Kent County Council (KCC) for the receipt and processing of approximately 25,000 tonnes per annum of wood waste is due to expire on 14 November 2026, and a procurement seeks to establish new countywide contractual arrangements from 15 November 2026.

The report also details the options considered, which included doing nothing, continuing to accept the waste but utilising alternative disposal options by using landfill, extending for a further period, and commencing a full procurement exercise. The report recommends commencing a full procurement exercise.

Water Resources Strategy

The committee will be asked to note a paper and support the development of a Water Resource Strategy Report. The report states that Kent is one of the driest regions in England, and climate change is intensifying the pressure on its water resources. The county is experiencing warmer, wetter, winters and hotter, drier summers, which are impacting both the quality and availability of water.

The Environment Agency² projects a national water shortfall of nearly 5 billion litres per day by 2050. Parts of Kent are already classified as experiencing moderate to serious water stress, where water demand exceeds the effective rainfall available. Areas under serious stress include Folkestone & Hythe, Dover, Thanet, Swale, Gravesham, and Sevenoaks.

The report proposes that KCC works with strategic partners to develop a shared Water Resources Strategy for the county that looks at how the council will manage the long-term risk to water resources.

Green Finance

The committee will be provided with an overview of green finance options available to KCC in order to mobilise private and public investment in environmental projects that support nature recovery, climate adaptation and biodiversity net gain goals. The ETCC Green Finance Briefing v1.0 outlines opportunities, risks and implications of adopting each of the green finance mechanisms and invites comments on the next steps towards creating a green finance strategy for the authority.

Performance Dashboard

The committee will be asked to note the ETCC Performance Dashboard Nov 25 - Cover and ETCC Performance Dashboard Nov 25 - App 1. The dashboard shows performance against targets set for Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). This is the second dashboard for 2025/26 and includes data up to August 2025.

Other items

The agenda also includes the following items:

• Introduction/Webcast announcement
• Nomination of Vice-Chair
• Apologies and Substitutes
• Declarations of Interest
• Minutes of the meeting held on 09.09.2025
• Southern Water Presentation
• Verbal Updates by Cabinet Members and Corporate Directors
• Work Programme