Agenda item

The report sets out the Council’s progress on tackling the climate and ecological emergencies over the last financial year (2023-24).

Cllr Sarah Warren, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Sustainable Travel, introduced the report, moved the officer recommendation, and made the following points:

·  This is the first combined annual report on B&NES’ progress in tackling the climate and ecological emergencies.

·  This has been the warmest northern hemisphere on record.  Global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations stood at 425 ppm in July, up from 421 a year previously, when the safe level for human civilisation is calculated by scientists at 350.

·  It is pleasing to report that B&NES continues to be seen as a local government leader in this field, ranking seventh of all local authorities according to Climate Scorecards UK, and being awarded our first B score by the Carbon Disclosure Project. We were also one of just 24 local councils to have implemented, a year ahead of government mandating, a biodiversity net gain policy which ensures that biodiversity will be in a better state following a building project than before.  We have made solid progress in carbon emissions reduction.

·  Last financial year, we opened the Keynsham Recycling Hub with a 783kWp solar array, rainwater harvesting and more than 200 trees; and installed air source heat pumps in our care homes Cleeve Court and Coombe Lea, to utilise the solar panels previously put in, with further projects for decarbonisation of our estate in the pipeline.

·  A new council-led development at Englishcombe Lane will deliver new homes for people with autism or learning difficulties and will create a nature-rich setting and aims to achieve the Building with Nature accreditation and deliver 20% biodiversity net gain; whilst council-owned Charlcombe Meadow is being converted to a Community Nature Reserve thanks to developer funding from our new biodiversity net gain planning policy.

·  We have made three trial through-traffic restrictions permanent, with trials of another five either live or planned; and are working closely with our Transport Authority the West of England Combined Authority on planned improvements to infrastructure for walking, wheeling and cycling.

·  In terms of our regulatory role, we are consulting on planning policy that will be still more stringent in requiring energy efficiency and biodiversity net gain for developers (having already introduced regulations in 2023 requiring zero carbon new build housing), and we hope to further ease the planning pathway for renewable energy. We have also issued compliance notices to landlords whose rental properties failed to meet minimum energy efficiency standards, resulting in improvements in the energy efficiency of 70 homes.

·  This work has been challenging during these last years in local government, in the context of ever deeper cuts to budgets.

·  We remain just as committed, but to achieve net zero (both here in Bath and North East Somerset as well as in other UK local authorities) will require a step change at national level, in terms of leadership, of funding, and of loosening the shackles upon local government in the key areas of transport, renewable energy, energy efficient buildings, and protection of nature.

Cllr Dave Wood seconded the motion and stated that the leadership a Council can bring on this issue is key.  He noted the publication of the country’s first local Nature Recovery Strategy and mapping.  The community is also creating the largest new woodland development in the south west in a generation.  He stated that he would like to see more leadership on sustainable food production and national flood management in the future.

Both Cabinet Members thanked the officers for their hard work in producing this report.

RESOLVED (unanimously):

(1)  To note the positive progress achieved over the past year across the priorities set out in the Climate Emergency Strategy and Ecological Emergency Action Plan.

(2)  To approve the Annual Climate & Nature Progress Report before presentation of the report to full Council on 19th September 2024.

(Note: Cllr Dave Wood declared a personal interest in this item as the CEO of Avon Needs Trees and as Director of Avon Needs Trees Trading Ltd).