Agenda item

Report of the Chief Executive

The Chief Executive submitted a report (previously circulated) to update Council on progress for the financial year 2022/23 towards the Council’s net zero target.

The submitted report stated that, following the Council’s Climate Emergency Declaration in July 2019, a Sustainability and Climate Change Lead Officer was appointed in late-January 2020, a Climate Change Strategy was adopted in July 2020 and, working with Lead Officers across the Council, an action plan was produced and adopted in October 2021. It was reported that milestones had been developed and these had been used by the Climate Change Officer to monitor progress.

The submitted report stated the at the end of the 2022/23 year, the Council was working to deliver 126 of the actions in the Climate Change Action Plan, and it was reported that 50 actions had been completed, and 72 remain on track.

It was reported that a trajectory of 30% reduction in the Council’s emission every five years had been agreed at Cabinet in October 2021, and that Council emissions for 2022/23 were 6,461 tonnes / CO2. The submitted report stated that the emissions the Council report on are made up of the energy use in Council buildings; business mileage; fleet emissions, and streetlighting and signs. It was noted that the Council do not currently measure emissions from our supply chain or from waste, however it was stated that a report had been commissioned from an external consultant into supply chain emissions and work will be undertaken to establish how the Council can reduce these going forward.

The submitted report highlighted that the Sustainable Darlington webpage and Sustainability and Climate Change intranet page had been updated and would be used to share information with residents and staff, together with plans to include a youth tab on the Sustainable Darlington page and working with young people to produce content.

Further to the amended declaration agreed by Council in July 2023, it was confirmed that the strategy and action plan were being revised in line with the new 2040 target, and that work was being undertaken with the Cross-Party Climate Change Working Group to understand the implications of the Council’s more ambitious target and the development of a new trajectory.

RESOLVED – That the contents of the report be noted.

REASON - With increasing public pressure to act on climate change, we run the risk of significant damage to our reputation if we do not deliver on our stated commitment to dealing with the Council’s contribution to climate change.