Report of Cabinet Member for Environment, Infrastructure and Climate Change
Minutes:
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 residual waste creation, increase recycling rates, promote composting of food waste at home and establish food waste collections throughout the County.
· 10. Innovation and Technology – Working collaboratively with research institutions, businesses and partners the Councils will encourage both innovation and technology development, that will assist the delivery of our combined net zero visions”.
On 10 October 2022 the Board provisionally agreed a Joint Climate Change Communication Plan for 2023. Whilst Partner Authorities were responsible for communicating their climate change responsibilities and actions, it was recognised that by working together, they could have a greater reach and impact. Therefore, the Plan set out a co-ordinated calendar of unified and consistent communications activity to be delivered throughout the year to raise awareness, deepen understanding and inspire action on climate change.
Each Partner Authority had been asked to make arrangements to formally adopt the Plan and accordingly Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet were to give it consideration at their meeting on 18 January 2023.
In the full and wide-ranging discussion which ensued, Members gave detailed scrutiny to the Plan asking questions, seeking clarification and raising areas of concern as necessary including:- (i) specific measures aimed at reducing emissions of potent ‘green house’ gases such as Methane and; (ii) the public engagement initiatives being promoted enabling residents to give their views on the work of Partners generally and programme of activities contained in the Plan.
In conclusion, they welcomed the joined-up approach which was being adopted by the Board together with the various initiatives listed in the Plan which they hoped would assist Staffordshire in meeting its ‘green house’ gas reduction targets so that the worst effects of climate change could be avoided. They noted that the first campaign identified in the Plan was intended to be run on 14 February 2023 ie Valentine’s Day and also welcomed the pace of the schedule of work.
RESOLVED – (a) That the report be received and noted.
(b) That the Staffordshire Sustainability Board Communications Plan be supported in terms of the Partnership approach to be adopted, its content and pace of activities which had been identified.
Supporting documents: