Decision details

Matter for Decision

The Officer’s report provided an update on progress on the 2023/24 actions of the Council’s Climate Change Strategy 2021-26. As part of this, the report included an update on progress in implementing projects to reduce direct carbon emissions from corporate buildings, fleet vehicles and business travel as detailed in the Council’s Carbon Management Plan 2021-26.

 

The report also provided an update on the Council’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions for 2023/24 and a new Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CR&VA) and Adaptation Plan, which prioritised the climate change risks for the Council and the city, plus details on actions the Council was taking to adapt and improve resilience.

 

Decision of Executive Councillor for Climate Action and Environment

      i.          Noted the progress achieved in implementing the actions in the Climate Change Strategy and Carbon Management Plan (Appendix B of the Officer’s report).

     ii.          Approved the updated Climate Change Strategy Action Plan presented in Appendix A.

   iii.          Noted the risks identified and actions being taken in the Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CR&VA) and Adaptation Plan.

 

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

 

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

 

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from the Assistant Chief Executive.

 

The Assistant Chief Executive said the following in response to Members’ questions:

      i.          Undertook to provide briefing details to Committee Members after the meeting on:

a.    Civic Quarter project and biodiversity net gain.

b.    Community Action Days.

c.    Green investments from General Fund.

d.    Support for businesses to tackle climate change.

e.    Procurement and Climate Change.

f.      Carbon Neutral Cambridge’s commentary on the Climate Change Strategy annual update report.

     ii.          Targets referenced in the Officer’s report were direct emissions from the City Council. The hope was to get the city to net zero, but this was an aspiration.

   iii.          The Council was taking a wide range of direct actions, set out in the Climate Change Strategy Action Plan. For example seeking to reduce emissions from its housing and leisure sites. Officers were looking at how to take more actions in future.

   iv.          The Guildhall was used for a number of purposes by different organisations. There were currently no plans to host a Decarbonisation Officer in the Guildhall. Other officers could be signposted to people making enquiries.

    v.          The City Council was putting in electric vehicle charging points in carparks on land it owned. The Environmental Quality & Growth Manager was liaising with the County Council to encourage people to put charging points on home owners’ properties in residential areas.

 

The Environmental Quality & Growth Manager said:

a.    A pilot project was run with Cambridgeshire County Council to install forty-two charging points in residential areas. A larger project was expected to be rolled out in the next twelve months, led by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, to install more charging points around the county (not just in the city).

b.    The City Council had installed rapid chargers around Cambridge for taxi and public use.

c.    The on-street charging tariff could be expensive. It was cheaper to use private charging points. The tariff for public ones included maintenance costs. The contract for residential on-street chargers was managed by the County Council. Rates across the city were competitive with national ones.

 

   vi.          A social value framework was currently being developed. This looked at how City Council money could be used to nudge contractors to take more action. The Director of Communities was writing a new strategy to take over from the existing one in eighteen months.

 vii.          Referenced objective 4 in the report. The City Council convened the  City Leaders Climate Change Group to share good practice plus encourage residents and businesses to reduce emissions.

viii.          It was difficult to engage with some residents if they did not want to respond.

   ix.          The City Council was working with partners to decarbonise the food supply chain, working with partners such as Cambridge Sustainable Food.

 

The Director of Communities said officers were looking at how to use community venues as food hubs. Actions could be reported back in future such as work with Coe Farm.

 

    x.          The Waterbeach Renewable Energy Network (WREN) solar project was scheduled to start construction in 2025.

 

The Executive Councillor for Climate Action and Environment said the Council had taken delivery of a fourth electric vehicle for waste collection. More could not be procured until WREN came online. Some waste oil powered vehicles were used mean time.

 

The Committee unanimously resolved to endorse the recommendations.

 

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations.

 

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.

 

Comment by Committee

The Committee thanked Assistant Chief Executive Andrew Limb for his exceptional work in supporting Cambridge City Council’s climate change strategy.