Issue - decisions

Matter for Decision:  

The City Council has consulted on a revised Climate Change Strategy for 2012-2016 that will set the framework for action by the Council to address climate change over the next five years. An updated draft of the Strategy was attached at Appendix A to the Officer’s report. The Strategy set out three strategic objectives for action by the Council aimed at reducing carbon emissions and managing the risks associated with climate change. It included an Action Plan that set out the key steps the Council would take over the following four years to deliver these objectives.   

Decision of Executive Councillor for Planning and Climate Change:

Approved the revised Climate Change Strategy for 2012-2016 with the acknowledgement that targets would be revised in 2014 when there would be more robust baseline data available.

Reason for the Decision:

The City Council made a formal commitment to tackle climate change by signing the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change in September 2006 and published its first Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan in 2008, which set out a vision and framework for action over a five-year period.  This strategy expires in 2012 and is therefore due for revision.

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

Not applicable.

Scrutiny Considerations:

The Committee received a report from the Strategy and Partnership Manager regarding Cambridge City Council Climate Change Strategy.

The committee made the following comments:

              i.      The high calibre of the public responses was praised.

            ii.      The quality of the data was questioned and the Officer acknowledged that the current monitoring of energy use by the council on some of its sites was problematic, as the equipment did not give currently provide real time reading. This problem should be resolved by 2014 with a combination of automatic meter reading and visual readings. 

          iii.      Members also questioned how the impact of Cambridge City Council actions across the city could be measured. The Executive Councillor agreed that is was hard to measure impact but suggested that partnership working was the way to achieve results.

         iv.      Members were reminded that the strategy also had a role in mitigating the impact of climate change on local residents by considering risks such as flooding and future fuel poverty.

Members thanked the officers involved for their hard work and agreed that the report highlighted a need to concentrate efforts where they could have an influence. However, members also noted that Cambridge had a role as an educator, with good practice from Cambridge being replicated elsewhere, notably on planning policy.

Members agreed that the recommendation should be amended to read: To approve the revised Climate Change Strategy for 2012-2016 with the acknowledgement that baselines and targets would be reviewed in 2014 when there would be more robust data available.

The Committee resolved unanimously to endorse the amended recommendations.

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendation.

Conflicts of interest declared by the Executive Councillor (and any dispensations granted)

Not applicable.