Agenda item

Cabinet is asked to note the positive progress and achievements over the last year on implementation of the Council’s Climate Strategy.  Members are also asked to approve the Climate Annual Report and the new Ecological Emergency Action Plan, before submission of the report package to full Council on 16 March 2023.

Cllr Sarah Warren introduced the report, moved the officer recommendations and made the following statement:

“Exactly four years ago in March 2019, Bath and North East Somerset Council declared a climate emergency, pledging to provide the leadership for the district to reach net zero by 2030. Since that evening, we have seen an increase in global atmospheric carbon dioxide by around 8ppm from 412 to 420, bearing in mind that scientists consider the safe level for human civilisation to be 350.

And local weather events over the last year, like last summer’s record-breaking heatwave which saw UK temperatures above 40^oC for the first time ever, have re-emphasised the importance of this declaration. We can now all see the damage being done with our own eyes, telling us we must maintain our urgency for greater and faster action.

B&NES also declared an ecological emergency in 2020, with the objective of being “nature positive” by 2030. Scientists estimate that the world's biodiversity is now just 75% intact, significantly below the 90% threshold scientists consider safe, with the UK languishing in the bottom 10% of countries for biodiversity.

Firstly, Cabinet, we are being asked this evening to note progress against our climate strategy over the last year. We are also asked to note the Climate Action Plan and route map, our updated Climate Strategy. Over that period, the pace of delivery has stepped up substantially with the creation of the Green Transformation Team and filling of a number of new posts.

Of all our many achievements, the one of which we should probably be most proud, is the adoption of our local plan partial update last month, making us the first Council in the UK to require net zero carbon in new build housing. We are also at the leading edge of councils in requiring 10% biodiversity net gain for developments – a year before this becomes mandated nationally.

Installed solar PV in B&NES has doubled in the last four years, assisted by the council’s participation in the West of England Combined Authority’s Solar Together scheme; we’ve installed solar PV on council buildings; and we’re working with the West of England Combined Authority on their retrofit accelerator to support householders in making their existing homes more energy efficient.

On transport, we’ve published our Journey to Net Zero strategy; established our new Journey to Net Zero transport stakeholder forum to hear from transport campaigners; built new safe walking / wheeling / cycle routes and published plans for more; we are progressing our 15 liveable neighbourhoods; brought in a bike hangar trial; and opened electric vehicle charge points. And we have plans for much more.

On nature we are caring for 80 hectares of woodland and 100 grassland sites, as well as creating 12 new flower-rich meadows through Bathscape; securing funding to create nature-rich areas across 34 hectares of green space Somer Valley; and changing management practices across 32 hectares of our parks and green spaces to benefit pollinators through our Let’s Get Buzzing campaign.

And this evening, we are approving our brand-new Ecological Emergency Action Plan. Highlights of this Plan, include the following priorities:

• Increasing the extent of land and waterways managed positively for nature across B&NES, for which we have secured millions of pounds. This will reverse the decline in wildlife and provide other benefits such as carbon sequestration and flood management. We will be increasing the amount of our own estate managed for nature and working in partnership with local charities to improve our engagement with farmers and landholders.
• Increasing the abundance and distribution of key species across B&NES through reducing: pollution, the use of pesticides, and the impact of infrastructure on wildlife, whilst improving our monitoring of wildlife so as to target our action towards the species most in need.
• Enabling more people to access and engage with nature, benefitting the health and wellbeing of our communities, and encouraging people to take action for nature. In the next year we plan to secure funding for posts that will support communities in managing their local green spaces for nature.

In summary, the progress on climate and nature that we have made over the last 4 years is significant and impressive, and over the same period we have increased our capacity to do more and faster over the next four years. Adopting the new ecological emergency action plan is an exciting development finally bringing to life our ambitions for nature in our area.”

Cllr Tom Davies seconded the motion and made the following statement:

“As the paper and my colleague Cllr Warren has noted - whilst there is so much more to be done, the report undisputedly shows the significant impact that we are having as a Council in leading our area to the hugely ambitious target of net zero by 2030. I am also very pleased to see the Ecological Emergency Action Plan which I welcome as another very impressive and well considered approach to tackling this crisis.

Taking the Climate Emergency Report - decarbonising and generating locally our energy is an area of notable success which should be celebrated in this report as a collaborative effort across our area - in particular I am pleased to see that the rate at which domestic and business solar PV is being installed has doubled since 2019.

But in my capacity as Cabinet Member for Council House building, I would like to also focus on what is one of the huge challenges in us meeting as our local target - decarbonising our stock of buildings. The requirement for retrofitting our buildings is huge - with 65,000 properties identified as needing some degree of retrofitting to increase energy efficiency.

National Government - especially under this Conservative Government - have a terrible track record in tackling this key aspect of our carbon emissions - with failed and poorly designed retrofitting initiatives. I welcome the progress and the foundations for scaling up the region’s retrofitting work which are detailed in the report, but I am sure that all of us here are cautious and concerned about the scale of the work which is needed to tackle the challenge of our stock of buildings.

However, there are causes for optimism in this area too and I am particularly proud of the work which the Council is doing in its own stock of housing under our B&NES Homes Programme and through our subsidiary Aequus - I think for example of 23 Grosvenor Place - a grade 1 listed building, the recent refurbishment of which included measures that will see emissions drop by 40% - and the exemplar new Sladebrook Road development to name just two schemes.

And perhaps most exciting of all - there was the huge decision taken at the Council meeting in January in which we became the first council in England to adopt an energy-based net zero housing policy that places ambitious targets on housing developments and all new major non-residential developments.

And so yes - there is so much more to be done that will require us all - residents, the Council and the National Government to each play our part - but to those involved in this report tonight, and in particular to Cllr Warren and the leadership she has shown, and  for everyone who has already played their part in taking us closer to our ambitious targets to tackle both the climate and ecological emergencies and we pass on our collective thanks.”

Cllr David Wood highlighted the best ever recycling rates that have been achieved in B&NES, the building of a new recycling centre and also being on target to plant 100,000 trees.

Cllr Richard Samuel thanked Cllr Warren for the work she has undertaken and the progress that has been achieved.  He noted that most people want to see action taken regarding the climate and stated that it is important to limit the growth in transport emissions.

RESOLVED (unanimously):

(1)  To note the positive progress and achievements over the last year on implementation of the Council’s Climate Strategy.  This is summarised in the Climate Progress Report, at Annex 1, which includes a range of climate and nature case studies and the annual carbon performance dashboard for the whole area. 

(2)  To note the particular progress made in understanding renewable energy in Bath and North East Somerset and in the development of the delivery pipeline shown in the renewables section of the Climate Progress Report, at Annex 1.

(3)  To note the Climate Action Plan and Route-map to 2030, at Annex 2.

(4)  To note the updated Climate Strategy, at Annex 3.

(5)  To note the development of the Ecological Emergency Action Plan, at Annex 4.

(6)  To note that the ambition on nature recovery contained in the Ecological Emergency Action Plan will only be fully realised with external investment and through working in partnership.

(7)  To approve the Climate Annual Report and the new Ecological Emergency Action Plan, before submission of the report package to full Council on 16 March 2023.