Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Deputy Leader of the Council with Responsibility for Climate Change, Environment & Future Generations

Forward Plan Ref: 2024/024

Contact: Sarah Gilbert, Head of Climate Action (Sarah.Gilbert@oxfordshire.gov.uk)

Report by Corporate Director for Environment & Place (CA10).

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

a.     Note the biannual update on the delivery of the workstreams in the Climate Action Programme (Annex 1).  

b.     Approve adjustments to the programme for 2024/25 (Annex 2). 

c.      Approve the draft outcome measures for monitoring progress to a net zero Oxfordshire (Annex 3).

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet had before it a report which provided an update on work to address the Climate Emergency, including delivery of the 2023/24 Climate Action Programme workstreams.

The report noted the council’s success in becoming the highest ranked county council in the UK for its Climate Action in Climate Emergency UK’s Climate Scorecard and receiving an A- score in a shadow submission to the industry-leading CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project) reporting framework.

The report provided an update on delivery of the council’s Carbon Management Plan for 2023/24. An emissions reduction will be achieved due to the imminent completion of the street lighting LED replacement programme. Whilst preparatory work has taken place, delivery of works planned for property, fleet, and staff business travel in 23/24 had been pushed back into 24/25. Property projects for 2023/24 would now complete alongside the 2024/25 programme.

The report also noted that 21 of 27 workstreams in the climate programme agreed in 23/24 were rated as green.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Deputy Leader of the Council with responsibility for Climate Change, Environment and Future Generations, presented the report. He thanked all those who had contributed to the significant progress with the Council’s climate agenda and, in particular, the team of officers for all their hard work.

The Chair also welcomed the progress detailed in the report and that the Council was being recognised, nationally, for its performance on climate change initiatives.

Councillor Sudbury moved, and Councillor Howson seconded the recommendations, and they were approved.

RESOLVED to

a)    note the biannual update on the delivery of the workstreams in the Climate Action Programme (Annex 1).  

b)    approve adjustments to the programme for 2024/25 (Annex 2). 

c)     approve the draft outcome measures for monitoring progress to a net zero Oxfordshire (Annex 3).