To receive a presentation on the Environment Management Action Plan. 

84.1           At the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 21 October 2015, Members had raised a query in relation to why the Climate Change Strategy had been removed from the Executive Committee Forward Plan.  Members had been advised that the most recent Climate Change Strategy was a five year strategy ending in 2015.  When the Council Plan was developed in 2012, climate change issues were not seen as a priority, therefore it had not been planned for renewal.  Although the Council did not currently have a dedicated resource around monitoring climate change response, this work has been distributed to the appropriate services and much of the work associated with the Climate Change Strategy was continuing.  The Environmental and Housing Services Group Manager had undertaken to report back to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to provide an overview of the Council’s work in this area.

84.2           Members received a presentation which covered the following key points:

·      Causes of climate change – Carbon dioxide levels had increased by more than 40% since before the industrial revolution; other greenhouse gases had increased by similarly large amounts; all of the evidence showed that these increases were almost entirely due to human activity; the increase was mainly caused by: burning fossil fuels for energy, agriculture/deforestation and the manufacture of cement, chemical and metals.

·      Definition of carbon footprint – “The total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tonnes of carbon dioxide”.

·      How does your carbon footprint impact climate change? – There were several ways to combat climate change by reducing carbon footprint: recycle (at work and home); use less fuel (car and heating); print less/double sided print; only use the lights needed.

·      Direct contribution – Recycling waste collection from every household – a recent food campaign had resulted in a 20% increase in food waste being taken to the anaerobic digestion plant; new windows – keeping the heat in and reducing the amount of energy used; roof insulation – keeping the heat in; installation of a 90kwh solar panel system on the Council Offices roof; Thin Client boxes which used 8watts of electricity compared to 90watts for the older style computer towers; Council car park and public car park lighting being replaced with LED lights; installation of a combined heat and power generator in the new leisure centre; and new insulation on the roof of the Roses Theatre.

·      Indirect contributions – Ask for contractors to have environmental policies in place which included the reduction of carbon dioxide; bulk stationery orders; contractors having recycling policies; Code 4 homes.

·      Future opportunities – Green travel plan for staff and tenants of the building; becoming paperless with the use of technology e.g. using tablets on site; education.

84.3           A Member indicated that he was aware that there had been plans in the past to introduce textile bins in various locations and he suggested that this may help to increase recycling rates.  The Environmental and Housing Services Group Manager explained that there had previously been a number of bins at bring sites around the Borough but the company which had provided the service had unfortunately gone into liquidation.  The Council was currently in the process of agreeing a contract with a new company to install textile bins across the Borough.  She explained that the main difficulty was that the price of textiles had decreased and, at the last Joint Waste Committee meeting, it had been suggested that it might be better to take these items to a charity shop than recycle them at bring banks.  It was hoped that the introduction of the new bins, combined with encouraging people to take unwanted textiles to charity shops, would help to improve the situation but the Council was governed by commodity prices at this point in time.  A Member felt that education was essential in the fight against climate change and the Deputy Chief Executive agreed that the Borough Council had a part to play in terms of providing information. 

84.4           The Chair thanked the Environmental and Housing Services Group Manager for her presentation and it was

RESOLVED          That the presentation on the Environment Management Action Plan be NOTED.