Agenda item

DECISION

1.    That the progress already achieved in delivering the nine recommendations approved by Full Council in January 2020 is recognised and the next steps as outlined in this paper are supported.

2.    That the Environment Policy be adopted.

Portfolio Holders and Officer

PS/SB

REASON FOR DECISION

The Leader introduced a report by the Climate Change & Environment Manager, which detailed the progress made by the Council against the nine recommendations agreed by Full Council in January 2020 (Appendix A), attached a draft Environmental Policy for Members’ consideration (Appendix B) and set out the next steps to be taken.

The Climate Change Working Group, established by the Committee, had submitted the nine recommendations to Full Council, but the Covid-19 pandemic had impacted progress and the necessary resources to take the work forward had only been identified recently.  The Climate Change & Environment Manager had been working with the Assistant Director - Regulation since August 2020.

The Strategic Alliance with East Lindsey District Council (ELDC) gave a renewed opportunity to pick up this work and to share knowledge and experience to help both authorities take action on the climate change agenda. 

The Council’s new Corporate Strategy for 2020-24 included a priority around environmental awareness and accountability.  This contained several commitments including developing a Carbon Reduction Plan and ensuring that every service and policy delivered on the Council’s climate change commitments.

The Council was in the process of commissioning the Carbon Trust to produce a new Carbon Reduction Plan, which would also provide an updated baseline of the current carbon footprint. Work would begin on this in early 2021. The Carbon Trust had recently completed a similar exercise for ELDC and it was hoped there would be opportunities to align both plans and identify savings through joint projects.

The nine recommendations demonstrated a clear intention to embed a culture of environmental consideration and carbon reduction across all areas of the Council.  To ensure this happened, the Environment Policy would set the framework under which relevant plans and strategies, such as the Carbon Reduction Plan, would sit. It was a simple mandate for climate change and environment action with four main themes that would ensure every service area was working to an agreed set of objectives consistent with the new corporate priority. 

It was also important that all Council staff had an awareness of the far-reaching implications of climate change, the multiple benefits that taking action could achieve and an understanding of where changes could be made. A Carbon Literacy training programme was in development to be rolled out to all staff and Members in 2021. 

The next step would be to produce a Climate Change Strategy for the Strategic Alliance as a whole, which would set the context for Boston and East Lindsey.  The Strategy would identify key sectors and stakeholders with which to engage and set out an action plan for ensuring the Council and ELDC worked collaboratively to reduce emissions and enhance the natural environment for residents, businesses and visitors.

The draft Environmental Policy had been considered and supported by the Environment & Performance and Corporate & Community Committees.  A minor amendment had been agreed that the promotion of sustainable travel behaviours amongst local authority employees be extended to include Members. 

During debate, the Environmental Policy was commended as a concise and punchy document that represented the start of a new direction with significant next steps to follow.  Members recognised that individuals needed to play their part, as well as businesses and organisations, including parishes, across the borough, and this would ensure more rapid progress.  Although the environmental impact of the Council’s own operations was relatively small, it could lead the way for others by setting an example.

In response to questions, the Chief Executive explained that the three roles in the climate change and environment team, to be established across the Strategic Alliance, would be filled by the redeployment of staff time through the efficiencies being created through the alliance; it would not be an additional cost.

The Climate Change & Environment Manager agreed that the Council’s community leadership role was key and the aim was to get everyone involved and contributing by ensuring they had the tools and knowledge to do so. 

With respect to Theme 2 within the policy, Mitigating and adapting to climate change, the Leader noted a Member’s concern that provision of a loch was needed beside the flood barrier to mitigate against flooding. 

Members thanked the Climate Change & Environment Manager for achieving a considerable amount of work within a short timeframe and they looked forward to the development of the next steps.

OTHER OPTIONS OR ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED

The Council could decide to take no further action; however, this would go against the intentions of the climate change and environment emergency declared in January 2020 and make it almost impossible for the Council to meet the target it has set to reduce its carbon emissions in advance of timetable set out by the UK Parliament.

RECORD OF ANY CONFLICT OF INTEREST

None.

RECORD OF ANY DISPENSATION GRANTED

None.