Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Climate Change Delivery & Environment

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/081

Contact: Sarah Gilbert, Climate Action Team Leader Tel: 07867 467797

Report by Corporate Director for Environment & Place (CA8).

The Greenhouse Gas Emissions 2020/2021 report is an annual report on the council’s operational greenhouse gas emissions and progress towards the target of net zero by 2030.  This report covers the financial year 2020-2021 and the period of greatest operational COVID impact.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to approve the Greenhouse Gas Emissions report for 2020/2021 for publication on the County Council website, set out in Appendix 1.

Recommendations agreed

Cabinet considered the Greenhouse Gas Emissions 2020/2021 report which was an annual report on the Council’s operational greenhouse gas emissions and progress towards the target of net zero by 2030. 

The report covered the financial year 2020-2021 and the period of greatest operational COVID impact.

Councillor Andrew Cole spoke on this item and welcomed the report and applauded the measures which had been made to date. However, there needed to be improvements around actions relating to biodiversity. Reference was made to the importance of biodiversity to society and how this impacted on the quality of life and on the public purse. It should be a priority. There was a challenge for society to look to nature-based solutions to climate change.

In the absence of the Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery and Environment, Councillor Duncan Enright, Cabinet Member for Travel & Development Strategy replied and referred to paragraph 15 of the report which detailed information on adaptations by biodiversity. Reference was made to the work in the development of infrastructure where the Council looks for biodiversity gain. An example was works along the A40 where biodiversity gains of 10 % were based in. Where possible, the Council was looking for biodiversity gains on site, in other parts of the Council. 

The Leader concurred with Councillor Cole’s comments and referred to an event she had been invited to by Thames Water which was looking at how we can look at biodiversity around the County’s rivers whilst mitigating flood risk.

RESOLVED: That approval be given to the Greenhouse Gas Emissions report for 2020/2021 for publication on the County Council website, set out in Appendix 1.