Issue - meetings

Report of Cabinet Member for Environment, Infrastructure and Climate Change

The Committee considered a report of the Cabinet Member for Environment Infrastructure and Climate Change regarding the development of a Staffordshire Sustainability Board Communication Plan by Partner Authorities represented on the Staffordshire Sustainability Board (schedule 1 to the signed minutes).

The Board was established in January 2022 with the aim of encouraging and supporting partnership working between Staffordshire District/Borough and County Council’s in their efforts to tackle climate change and reduce carbon emissions towards a net zero target. In March 2022 the Board adopted a vision together with ten commitments for action during 2022/23 ie:-

“The Staffordshire Sustainability Board (SSB) is to facilitate the collaborative forum, to work together, as the democratically elected bodies in Staffordshire, to influence change and to encourage organisations and individuals to ensure that Staffordshire is net carbon zero by at least 2050 or before.

The board will also work as a collective to address climate change adaptation measures that are within individual organisations leverage, to influence and facilitate change with adaptation to climatic changes that are already locked in Sustainability and habitat biodiversity will be reviewed throughout 2022 and shall be considered in a revised vision in January 2023.

·       “1. Baseline and Reporting – All Councils will prepare and publish an annual baseline analysis of their organisation’s carbon footprint. All Councils will assess and publish progress in reducing their carbon footprint in October each year.

·       2. Carbon Literacy Training & Awareness – All Councillors and Senior Management Teams will undertake carbon literacy training to build corporate awareness of the issue and the Council’s role in securing carbon reduction. All Councils will conduct a community impact assessment for key projects and proposals and include an assessment of Climate Change Implications in all key decision reports.

·       3. Ambassadors - All Councils will encourage members to act as climate change ambassadors, to encourage reduction in organisational carbon footprints and champion this in their own division/ward areas.

·       4. Green Travel Planning – All Councils will support and facilitate green travel by members, employees, and their communities through promotion of green travel planning. Policy implementation on green transport and ways of working.

·       5. Communications – All Councils will contribute to a countywide communications group who will plan to deliver and manage a countywide Communications Plan, working together to drive our collective net zero visions forward, throughout the County.

·       6. Green Energy – All the Councils will commit to procure 100% green energy supplies for their electricity as soon as existing contract commitments allow.

·       7. Energy Reduction – By January 2023, all Councils will have established plans to reduce energy consumption across their estates.

·       8. Low carbon fuelled fleet vehicles – Moving towards an aspirational zero emission operational vehicle fleet, the Councils will by 2025, establish a plan to move to low carbon fuels within their internal fleets by 2030.

·       9. Waste & Recycling – By 2025 there will be a countywide waste strategy that all authorities will adhere to. This strategy will cover all aspects of the countywide waste operation, to reduce  ...  view the full minutes text for item 42