Ralph Kemp, Head of Environmental Services introduced this item to the Committee.
The Committee was advised the report was an update on the delivery of the commitment made by Council to being a carbon neutral council by 2025 and influence carbon reduction across the borough, the Action Plan had been adopted to achieve this.
Ralph advised the Committee that the data suggested that the Council was on track to achieving its carbon neutral ambition, the council had secured its fourth successful funding bid from Government, purchased its first council electric vehicles, planted 21,000 trees and progressed two large solar farms.
Part of the recommendation within the report was to approve joining the UK100 Network and this followed a pledge at full council committing the borough to be carbon neutral by 2045.
In line with the procedure rules within the council Constitution, the proposer of the original motion if present should be invited to speak first, followed by the seconder. The matter would then be opened up to wider discussion.
Councillor Quentin Abel addressed the Committee as the proposer of the original motion at full council, he brought up four points for consideration:
1) There was no additional cost to join UK100
2) There were many advantages of joining in relation to the access to data
3) This could help business and the population with their quality of life; and
4) The Council would gain access to funding and advice on securing future funding.
Councillor Rod Fletcher as the seconder of the original motion attended the meeting and addressed the Committee, he noted there had been misinformation spread about this proposal which had contributed to some hesitancy in support from across the council. Councillor Fletcher gave examples of both Liverpool and Surrey Local Authorities joining the UK100 and underlined the point that the organisation was not political and there were real benefits in gaining access to support and help to achieve environmental targets. Councillor Fletcher expressed a desire to see unanimous support for this recommendation.
The Committee was given the opportunity to ask questions. There was a query about the difference between carbon offset and carbon inset. Ralph Kemp explained that carbon inset is the term the Council had adopted for projects to capture carbon within the borough.
Ralph also explained that whilst joining the UK100 target was a pledge and there was no legal requirement to meet the targets, progress would be published.
The Committee asked if Cheshire East had consulted with Cheshire West, Ralph confirmed that Cheshire operate regionally, both through and outside of the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), both authorities support each other with different conferences regionally and there would be a need to find some regional solutions e.g. transport solutions. Cheshire West were already committed to UK100.
RESOLVED: (Unanimously)
That:
1) progress made towards the Council’s target to be carbon neutral for its own emissions by 2025 and wider influence measures to reduce carbon emissions across the borough be noted;
2) Cheshire East Council joining the UK100 network, setting a borough-wide target to be carbon neutral by 2045 be agreed;
3) the Head of Environmental Services be authorised to take all necessary actions to enter into a collaboration agreement between Cheshire East Council and Cheshire Wildlife Trust.
4) the Head of Environmental Services be authorised to take all necessary actions to establish and procure an electric vehicle car club as a solution to reducing the carbon footprint of the Council’s business travel and borough wide carbon emissions through public use of the car club.
5) the adoption of the Manchester City Council Low Carbon Build Standard as a requirement for all construction projects undertaken by the Council be recommended to the Economy and Growth Committee;
6) the £3.714 million Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme Grant from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for further decarbonisation of Council buildings be accepted;
7) the Council plan to plant trees on suitable council owned agricultural land holdings as part of the Carbon Neutral Action Plan 2020- 2025 commitment to develop natural climate solutions such as tree planting and peatland management on at least 100ha of Council owned land be noted.