To receive and consider the report of the Director of Communities.

1.         That the draft Climate Emergency Action Plan is considered by members.

2.         To formally adopt the draft Climate Emergency Action. 

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member (Health and Wellbeing), Councillor Mick Titherington, presented a report of the Director of Communities providing members, for consideration and adoption, a draft Climate Emergency Action Plan, setting out the initial actions that the Council will undertake towards achieving the corporate goal of net-carbon neutral by 2030.   

It was proposed by Councillor Mick Titherington, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member (Health and Wellbeing), seconded by Councillor Paul Foster, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member (Strategy and Reform) and

Resolved (unanimously)

1.         That the draft Climate Emergency Action Plan is considered by members.

2.         To formally adopt the draft Climate Emergency Action. 

Report of the Director of Communities enclosed.

Decision made

1.     That, having considered the report, the draft Climate Emergency Action Plan be endorsed by the Cabinet.

2. That Council be recommended to formally adopt the draft Climate Emergency Action Plan.

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member (Health and Wellbeing) presented a report of the Director of Communities providing details of a draft Climate Emergency Action Plan, setting out the initial actions that the Council will undertake towards achieving the corporate goal of net-carbon neutral by 2030.

A question was asked about whether the Cabinet were in discussions with Lancashire County Council (LCC) as a crucial partner on many of the proposed actions, and also quantifying the data in respect of how the actions will reduce the 700,000 kilotonnes of carbon. The Cabinet Member (Health and Wellbeing) indicated that regular talks were being held with LCC and that although no quantifiable data in respect of the actions was yet available, the Plan represented the commitment of the Council to addressing the climate emergency and establishes the actions which inform the Strategy. The Chief Executive also indicated that similar points were made at Scrutiny Committee and that detailed work on the Plan would now be taken forward.

Decision made

1.     That, having considered the report, the draft Climate Emergency Action Plan be endorsed by the Cabinet.

2. That Council be recommended to formally adopt the draft Climate Emergency Action Plan.

Reasons for decision

In July 2019 the Council declared a Climate Emergency, with a goal of achieving net carbon neutral by 2030 for the Council operations and the borough.

In July 2020 the Council approved and adopted a Climate Emergency Strategy which identified the current carbon footprint for the Council operations and the borough and determined that a Climate Emergency Action Plan was required to achieve the netcarbon neutral goal.

The draft Climate Emergency Action Plan is a cumulation of work that fulfils the above requirement and sets out the initial measures to move South Ribble towards a net carbon neutral status.

Alternative options considered and rejected

The option of not developing an action plan was discounted.

Members had made a commitment to developing an action plan and achieving the target of net zero carbon emissions by 2030. The Climate Emergency Strategy sets out the scope of what is and is not to be included within the calculation of the carbon footprint for both the Council and the borough as a whole. This scope has directed the formation of the action plan.

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