Agenda item

Report from the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment.

Recommendations:

That Cabinet approves the Climate Change Action Plan in Appendix 2, noting the key achievements and opportunities summarised in Appendix 1 and section 2 of this report.

Consideration was given to the report which provided an update on the Council’s Climate Change activity for the previous year. A full progress report for 2024/25 and an action plan for 2025/26 were appended to the report. Key progress was highlighted in the report with respect to the specific themes of:

• Monitoring and measurement
• Energy decarbonisation
• Transport
• Housing
• Waste
• Built & Natural Environment
• Influence & Engagement (including culture and heritage)
• Adaptation

Nature Recovery was included within the Built & Natural Environment

theme to align with existing work streams around tree planting and

woodland management.

2025 was highlighted as a key milestone in the Council’s original climate

declaration, marking five years since Cabinet approved its net zero

targets. As such 2025 presented an opportunity to review progress made,

consider the challenges experienced and the socioeconomic and

political changes observed during this time. It was also an opportunity to

reflect on a refined view of the Council’s carbon footprint following work

to improve this dataset and to consider how these impacted upon the

Council’s ability to reach its targets. It was therefore proposed that a review

be carried out and an assessment of the recommended approach to the

next five years be undertaken. It was also an opportunity, as the Council

moved into the final 5 years to improve governance around this programme to enable more focussed progress.

Resolved:

That Cabinet approve the Climate Change Action Plan in Appendix 2, noting

the key achievements and opportunities summarised in Appendix 1 and

section 2 of this report.