Agenda item

            Together, the Climate Commissioner and the Monitoring, Learning and Reporting Officer presented the undernoted report to the Committee:

 

“1.0      Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues

 

1.1       To present the draft Climate Action Plan to members and seek approval for the short-term actions in the Climate Action Plan to be adopted via the Corporate Annual Delivery Plan for 2024-25.  The actions for subsequent years will be brought forward for approval in line with the annual financial planning and corporate planning cycle.

 

 

2.0       Recommendation

 

2.1       The Committee is requested to:

 

                                          I.     Note the purpose of the plan - to close the gap between BCC’s current climate action and its ambition to be a net zero and resilient Council as well as its five themes: Tools for Transition, Adaptation, Energy and Buildings, Transport and Waste Management;

                                         II.     Note that ‘Commencing the delivery of the Council Corporate Climate Action Plan to increase the climate resilience of Council assets and services and progress towards Council net zero emissions’ is a key action in the Council’s Performance Improvement Plan;

                                       III.     Note that all of the short-term actions in the CAP have been mainstreamed into the draft Corporate Annual Delivery Plan for 2024-25;

                                       IV.     Note that the adoption of the Climate Action Plan will enable the Council to fulfil its legal obligations under the Public Body Reporting requirements (under the NI Climate Change Act), specifically in preparing the Mitigation report for submission to DAERA in Oct 2025 and the Adaptation report in March 2026;

                                        V.     Note that the Climate data platform will collate all of the Council’s climate data and track delivery of the Climate Action Plan which will enable CMT to obtain regular progress reports and demonstrate progress externally to DAERA;

                                       VI.     Note the proposed governance arrangements via the Climate and City Resilience Committee; and

                                     VII.     Provide approval for the short-term actions in the Climate Action Plan to be adopted via the Corporate Annual Delivery Plan for 2024-25 and note that the actions for subsequent years will be brought forward for approval in line with the annual financial planning and corporate planning cycle.

 

2.2       Background

 

            The work started in 2021 with an initial analysis of the Council’s scope 1 and 2 emissions followed by the commissioning of KPMG to undertake a Climate Risk Assessment (in 2023). This work combined with a series of workshops led by KPMG informed the development of an initial draft Climate Action Plan. An internal review of the plan by the climate team and further consultation with departments has resulted in the revised draft plan included in this report.

 

 

2.3       Purpose of the Climate Action Plan (CAP)

 

            The purpose of the plan is to close the gap between BCC’s current climate action and its ambition to be a net zero and resilient Council. It includes actions to be delivered in the short term (by 2025), medium term (by 2030) and longer term (2030+). The actions are grouped under five themes:

 

·        Tools for Transition

·        Adaptation

·        Energy and Buildings

·        Transport

·        Waste Management

 

2.4       Alignment of the plan with the draft Corporate Annual Delivery Plan

 

            ‘Commencing the delivery of the Council Corporate Climate Action Plan to increase the climate resilience of Council assets and services and progress towards Council net zero emissions’ is a key action in the Council’s Performance Improvement Plan.

 

            In consultation with departments, all of the short-term actions in the CAP have been mainstreamed into the draft Corporate Annual Delivery Plan for 2024-25 with identified SROs for each action. Going forward, it is proposed that the plan will be reviewed annually with priority actions brought forward by Departments for inclusion in the Council’s Annual Delivery Plan. This will ensure that the Climate Action Plan supports the delivery of the Annual Delivery Plan and that climate actions are properly resourced as part of the annual planning cycle.

 

Draft Corporate Annual Delivery Plan – Climate Actions for 2025-26 *PIP

Tools for Transition: ensuring BCC is equipped with the tools and mechanisms to successfully enable it to become a net zero, resilient council ·        Develop and launch an accessible climate data platform to track progress on delivering climate adaptation and mitigation actions (1.7) * ·        Develop a sustainable/ low carbon procurement policy and supplier guidance documents to support a transition to an inclusive, net zero and resilient future (1.12)  ·        Develop a sustainable food policy for the Council that addresses waste, sourcing, packaging, emissions measurement and an events protocol (1.14) * ·        Prepare departments for data collection required for Public Body Reporting under the Climate Change Act (1.18) ·        Prepare mitigation report (Oct 2025) and adaptation report (March 2026) for submission to DAERA in line with Public Body Reporting requirements (1.19) *

Adaptation: ensuring BCC is future proofed and resilient to flood and heat related risk ·        Update the BCC Climate Risk Assessment in line with the new mandatory Public Body Reporting requirements (under the Climate Change Act) (2.2) ·        Apply SUDs policy and guidance (SUDS Manual C753) as standard practice in the Capital Programme (2.3) ·        Start to deliver the Tree Establishment Strategy and continue the One Million Trees Programme (2.19)

Energy and Buildings: achievement of a low-carbon and sustainable energy system and Council estate ·        Complete a second phase of building energy audits - (Andersonstown LC, Lisnasharragh LC, Templemore Av LC, Brook LC) and the Waterfront Hall (3.4) * ·        Develop the integration of whole life carbon assessments as standard practice in the Capital Programme (3.8) ·        Launch a phased metering and retrofitting programme across BCC’s top energy users based on the findings of the building level audits of Adelaide, Cecil Ward, City Hall and Duncrue (3.11) * ·        Scope out a strategy to increase renewable and low-carbon energy use through corporate power purchase agreements (3.15)

Transport: achievement of net zero and sustainable Council-related transport ·        Review the Business Travel Policy and develop the Sustainable Staff Travel Plan to encourage modal shift, active travel and more fuel-efficient driving for Council staff (4.1) ·        Through sustainable procurement, aim to use local suppliers to the Council to reduce miles travelled within the confines of procurement legislation and Local Govt Act restrictions (4.4) ·        Conduct a commercial assessment of Council land suitable for installing low emission vehicle (LEV) charging points (4.9) ·        Commence work on repurposing staff parking spaces for cycle racks and integrate appropriate facilities to support active travel e.g. shower and changing facilities (4.10)

Waste Management: enabling the Council and its operations to support the transition to a more circular economy ·        Initiate an internal Council-level Waste Management Plan which aligns with the Waste Management Hierarchy and with an emphasis on green waste (5.3) ·        Continue to progress the proposal for a single use plastics policy for the Council (5.4) ·        Develop a mechanism to track and report on internal Council generated waste (5.7)

 

2.5       Public body reporting

 

            The adoption of the Climate Action Plan will position the Council well with regard to its legal obligations under the Public Body Reporting requirements (Climate Change Act) as it will demonstrate ongoing activity within the Council to address climate change and its longer term plans to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

 

            The timely adoption of the plan will enable the Climate team to prepare the Mitigation report for submission to DAERA in Oct 2025 and the Adaptation report in March 2026.

 

      The mitigation report must include:

 

1.      a statement, in respect of each of the three preceding financial years, of the amounts and the sources of the council’s greenhouse gas emissions;

2.      a statement of the council’s proposals and policies for reducing those amounts and otherwise for mitigating the effects of climate change in the exercise of its functions;

3.      a statement of the time-scales for implementing those proposals and policies; and

4.      an assessment of the progress made towards implementing the proposals and policies set out in any previous climate change mitigation report.

 

      The adaptation report must include:

 

1.      an assessment of the current and predicted impact of climate change in relation to its functions;

2.      a statement of council’s proposals and policies for adapting to climate change in the exercise of its functions;

3.      a statement of the timescales for implementing those proposals and policies; and

4.      an assessment of the progress made towards implementing the proposals and policies set out in any previous climate change adaptation report.

 

2.6       Climate data platform

 

            A Climate data platform has been developed by Digital Services, the Climate team and the data analyst, to store this information and track progress on delivery.  The next steps are to populate the platform with the climate actions and other data once the CAP is approved.  The Climate Team will test the platform before rolling it out more widely across the organisation.

 

2.7       Proposed governance structure

 

            Six-monthly progress reports on the Climate Action Plan will be provided to Climate and City Resilience Committee. An annual report will be prepared by the Climate Team by August each year and the Climate Team will monitor and review progress through the Climate Data Platform and provide advisory support to departments where required.

           

3.1       Financial and Resource Implications

 

            Funding for the implementation of the actions in the Corporate Annual Delivery Plan for 2024-25 has been agreed via the financial planning and rate setting process.

 

3.2       Equality or Good Relations Implications/

            Rural Needs Assessment

 

            Equality screening completed and will be considered throughout implementation.

 

            A Member stated that he felt that the Council’s estate was underutilised and that he would be keen to see as many nature-based solutions as possible feature within the plan, including biodiversity, nature restoration, the promotion of an invertebrate population, the prompt removal of invasive species, open mosaic habitats and swift bricks.

 

            In response to a number of Members’ questions, the Monitoring, Learning and Reporting Officer advised the Members that the £1million Climate Fund would be a significant help in reaching the goals set within the plan, including, for example, buying scales to weigh waste in order to establish a baseline and set targets regarding waste management.

 

            In relation to a Member’s query regarding the integration of whole life carbon assessments as standard practice in the Capital Programme, the Members were advised that the Property and Projects Department was already looking at the issue and that they could link Members in to the process and the timeline.

 

            A further Member requested information regarding the level of staff engagement which had taken place regarding active travel and sustainable transport.  The Climate Commissioner explained that, to date, a light touch staff survey had been carried out but that they were carrying out a top-down approach, working with the Members and Corporate Management Team initially.  She added that DAERA had a useful online training tool on sustainable travel which could be issued to staff.

 

            After discussion, the Committee adopted the recommendations within the report.