Agenda item
Local Authority Carbon Management Programme (CAB 139/089)
Decision:
Resolved:
1. That the Carbon Management Plan attached at Appendix 1 to the report (CAB 139/089), be approved;
2. That the following targets for reducing carbon emissions from Council operations as outlined in the Carbon Management Plan be agreed:-
· 25% by 2012
· 40% by 2016
· 60% by 2020
3. That a corporate framework be developed to verify, achieve and maintain carbon reduction targets over the longer term within the Authority’s Strategic Plan;
4. That the Authority’s Capital Strategy be revised to include the aim of ‘Reducing the Council’s carbon footprint and assisting the community to do likewise’;
5. That all new capital scheme funding applications include a Carbon Impact Assessment;
6. That the Corporate Director Development and Renewal be instructed to review the Asset Management Plan (AMP) to assess the forward ‘Carbon Reduction Commitment’ risks being created by schemes already agreed within the capital programme, in the context of the Asset Management Plan’s ability to deliver savings and cost reductions over the medium term;
7. That it be noted that the target carbon reductions included in the Carbon Management Plan and the implementation of the projects detailed in the plan are essential to the achievement of the following National Indicators:
· NI185 %C CO2 reduction from LA operations
· NI186 Per capita CO2 emissions in the LA area
8. That the introduction of the Carbon Reduction Commitment from 2010/2011 onwards and the potential financial penalties for not reducing carbon emissions, be noted.
Action by
CORPORATE DIRECTOR DEVELOPMENT AND RENEWAL
(A. Dalvi)
Service Head Strategy, Regeneration and Sustainability, Development and Renewal, (J. Odunoye)
Minutes:
Ms Carless, Environmental Sustainability Officer, Development and Renewal, at the request of the Chair in introducing the report:
· Summarised the salient points contained therein as follows:
o Informing the Cabinet that tackling climate change was now a core policy driver at both local and national government level, and from 2009 all authorities would be assessed by Government through the Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA), on their ability to work together with local public and private partners to reduce their energy consumption both within and beyond organisational boundaries.
o Advising that the 2008 Comprehensive Performance Assessment, in which the Authority had been scored as a four star excellent Council, had contained two key recommendations for improvement including giving greater priority to environmental sustainability. The Audit Commission would be pursuing key lines of enquiry in relation to the Use of Resources element of the CAA which required the Council to make effective use of natural resources. This included assessment of its ability to
Ø Understand and quantify its use of natural resources and identify the main influencing factors
Ø Manage performance to reduce its impact on the environment
Ø Manage environmental risks it faced, working with partners
· Informing the Cabinet that the Carbon Management Plan (CMP) would contribute to achievement of National Indicators 185 (reduction from local authority operations), 186 (per capita reduction),194 (air quality), 187 (fuel poverty). It would also reduce financial penalties under the Carbon Reduction Commitment.
· Detailing the authority’s carbon baseline for 2008 and associated energy costs and the main contributors to the baseline: Schools, civic buildings, housing and Leisure.
· Outlining the cost or value at stake of not undertaking the CMP, defined as the business as usual and reduced emissions scenarios, estimated to be £4 million if the 25% reduction target was reached by 2012 or £9.7 million if the 60% target was reached by 2020.
· Outlining the key areas of activity in the proposed CMP and advising that a key element of the CMP was the Carbon Embedding Matrix which would commit the Authority to achieving level 5 in all areas by 2011.
· Addressed the matters raised by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, held on 7th April 2009, in relation to the report; as set out in the tabled sheet of questions and comments presented by the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee earlier in the proceedings.
Councillor Peck, Lead Member Resources and Performance:
· Commented that report was inevitably quite technical, given the subject matter, but that this should not detract from the step change in policy that it contained, possibly one of the biggest in the 3 years of the current Administration, and certainly moving policy further forward in this area than ever before.
· Commented that it was recognised that the Authority’s environmental performance had lagged behind improved performance in other areas and a key factor in this had been its energy use. The Audit Commission had highlighted this and the Administration had acknowledged it must be addressed. This was important given the associated costs of business as usual were forecast to rise from approximately £3.5 million in 2008 to £5.5 million in 2012; and particularly so in the context of the introduction of the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), a “cap and trade” system.
· Commended the ambitious commitment, contained in the proposals, of the Authority achieving a 60% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020. This would place the Authority amongst the leading authorities in this field, with only one authority known to have a more ambitious target: Cardiff at 70%.
· Cautioned that targets must be matched by achievement and this would require organisational re-alignment.
· Advised of an error at page 4 of CMP appended to the report which stated that the CMP committed the Authority to a target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 30% by 2012 with an associated cumulative saving of £4.7 million which should actually be 25% and £4 million respectively.
· Formally thanked Ms Carless, Environmental Sustainability Officer, and other officers across the Council that had contributed to the team effort required to bring forward these proposals.
A brief discussion followed in which Members welcomed the proposals and clarification was sought and given with regard to the setting of carbon emission reduction targets for partners of the Authority, such as Registered Social Landlords and also Tower Hamlets Homes (the arms length management organisation for housing stock remaining in the ownership of the Authority) and the provision for monitoring such targets.
The Chair, in Moving the recommendations, as set out in the report:
· Thanked all those who had contributed to the development of the proposals.
· Welcomed the ambitious target of a 60% reduction in carbon emissions from the Authority’s activities by 2020 and also that this was more ambitious than neighbouring boroughs.
· Requested that the Corporate Director Development and Renewal ensure that performance against target was adequately monitored to ensure achievement.
And it was:-
Resolved:
1. That the Carbon Management Plan attached at Appendix 1 to the report (CAB 139/089), be approved;
2. That the following targets for reducing carbon emissions from Council operations as outlined in the Carbon Management Plan be agreed:-
· 25% by 2012
· 40% by 2016
· 60% by 2020
3. That a corporate framework be developed to verify, achieve and maintain carbon reduction targets over the longer term within the Authority’s Strategic Plan;
4. That the Authority’s Capital Strategy be revised to include the aim of ‘Reducing the Council’s carbon footprint and assisting the community to do likewise’;
5. That all new capital scheme funding applications include a Carbon Impact Assessment;
6. That the Corporate Director Development and Renewal be instructed to review the Asset Management Plan (AMP) to assess the forward ‘Carbon Reduction Commitment’ risks being created by schemes already agreed within the capital programme, in the context of the Asset Management Plan’s ability to deliver savings and cost reductions over the medium term;
7. That it be noted that the target carbon reductions included in the Carbon Management Plan and the implementation of the projects detailed in the plan are essential to the achievement of the following National Indicators:
· NI185 %C CO2 reduction from LA operations
· NI186 Per capita CO2 emissions in the LA area
8. That the introduction of the Carbon Reduction Commitment from 2010/2011 onwards and the potential financial penalties for not reducing carbon emissions, be noted.
Supporting documents: