Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive

Recommendations:-

1.    That the progress to date following the declaration of the climate emergency be noted

2.    That the continuation of the work of the Climate Emergency Member Working Group be agreed

3.    That approval be given to set the following targets:

a          RMBC: Council’s carbon emissions to be at net zero by 2030

b          Rotherham: Borough-wide carbon emissions to be at net zero by 2040

4.    That the seven policy themes of Energy; Housing; Transport; Waste; Built and natural environment; Influence; and Engagement be endorsed

5.    That the 2020/21 plan of action be approved.

Consideration was given to a report which detailed how the Council declared a Climate Emergency at its meeting on 30thOctober, 2019. Following the declaration work had been undertaken to produce a draft policy document “Rotherham Council Responding to the Climate Emergency”, setting out the Council’s commitment to tackle climate emergency. The draft policy document was appended to the report.

A Member Working Group had been established to consider the Council’s response to the climate emergency and to propose a target for the Council’s carbon reduction. Arising from this work it was proposed that the following targets were adopted:

·              RMBC: Council’s carbon emissions to be at net zero by 2030.

·              Rotherham: Borough-wide carbon emissions to be at net zero by 2040.

The purpose of these dual targets was to recognise the borough’s carbon budget (a carbon budget was the cumulative amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions permitted over a period of time to keep within a certain temperature threshold), alongside the Council’s carbon budget and acknowledge the need for the Council to lead by example in securing commitments and pledges from other organisations.

Overall, the approach set out themes for the policy together with targets for 2030 and 2040 and actions for 2020/21. It was proposed that the Member Working Group would continue to develop the policy and actions for future years to meet the target outcomes.

Cabinet Members welcomed this report and the importance of taking this forward on a contingency basis and the progress would be reported into Council in due course.

The report had been subject to pre-decision scrutiny by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board on 18^th March, 2020 where Members had indicated their support for the recommendations.

Resolved:-

(1)  That the progress to date following the declaration of the climate emergency be noted

(2)  That the continuation of the work of the Climate Emergency Member Working Group be agreed

(3)  That approval be given to set the following targets:-

a      RMBC: Council’s carbon emissions to be at net zero by 2030

b      Rotherham: Borough-wide carbon emissions to be at net zero by 2040

(4)  That the seven policy themes of Energy; Housing; Transport; Waste; Built and natural environment; Influence; and Engagement be endorsed

(5)  That the 2020/21 plan of action be approved.