Cllr Phil Trumper, the Chair of the Climate Change Task Group will provide a verbal update regarding this review and the important role it will play moving forward in ensuring an environmentally sustainable recovery whilst building on real climate change and sustainable positives resulting from the pandemic, as described in the Council’s Covid-19 Recovery Strategy approved by the Cabinet in July, 2020. The Climate Change and Carbon Reduction Officer will also give a power-point presentation on progress at the meeting.
Minutes:
Councillor Phil Trumper, the Chair of the Climate Change task and finish group provided a verbal introduction and update on progress and meetings of the Group since he last attended the meeting of the former Overview and Scrutiny Board on 21st October, 2020.
The recently appointed Climate Change and Carbon Reduction Officer attended the meeting, introduced himself to the Committee and explained his role and principal duties and responsibilities to Members. He informed the Committee that his post of Climate Change and Carbon Reduction Officer was a joint appointment between the Council and the North York Moors National Park Authority, and he worked 2½ days a week for each organisation.
The Climate Change and Carbon Reduction Officer then provided a more detailed overview of the work he had undertaken for the Council to date, especially in-house; intended future actions; and outlined the support and input he was giving to Members of the Climate Change task and finish group’s work, which included assisting the group to draw up a set of draft strategic objectives for approval, to be underpinned by an action plan. He then also responded to the Committee’s questions and comments on the climate change and carbon reduction work, including the need to embed the recommendations with solid data. The three main strands the task and finish group were looking at, the Council, the community and government & others were highlighted. He also shared with the Committee, a document which showed details of the Council’s carbon footprint. Carbon reduction, new homes and the greening of the Council’s fleet were also raised and discussed.
Councillor Michelle Donohue-Moncrieff, Cabinet Member with portfolio responsibility for climate change addressed the meeting. She referred to the Council’s declaration relating to the Climate Emergency of 2019 and looked forward to the Climate Change task and finish group’s final report being presented to this Overview and Scrutiny Committee at the earliest opportunity it was available. She complimented the work done to date and talked about plans for fleet transition and electric vehicles.
The Principal Coastal Officer also attended the meeting and provided Members with a comprehensive update on climate change coastal protection, coastal erosion and shoreline monitoring matters.
He outlined his role working for the Council, and in partnership with other bodies, including the Environment Agency and North East Coastal Group. He talked about climate change, coastal erosion, rising sea levels and the risks of coastal flooding. He also outlined the biggest risk he could foresee was the impact of undefended former landfill sites scattered along the coast. In addition, he mentioned the importance of sea walls. The coast was managed by shoreline management plans, these were regional plans, which covered all coastal areas of the United Kingdom. He then responded to the Committee’s questions and comments thereon the matters he had raised.
A number of Members of this Overview and Scrutiny Committee, who were also members serving on the task and finish group, also spoke about the work they had undertaken to date. They further re-emphasised how the review would have an important part to play moving forward in ensuring an environmentally sustainable recovery whilst building on real climate and sustainability positives resulting from the pandemic, as described in the Council’s COVID-19 recovery strategy.
In addition, they still felt there was more work to work to do before they could complete the review group’s report, including a consultation exercise on their proposals when more fully developed. They suggested that the final report be re-scheduled for consideration by the Committee at its 27 October, 2021 meeting.
(Councillor Alex Bailey left the meeting at 2.45pm during the consideration of this item).
RESOLVED:
(1) that progress of the task and finish group be noted; and
(2) that Councillor Phil Trumper be invited to give a further progress report on the group’s work to the 1st September, 2021 meeting of the Committee, with the review group’s final report, including a set of draft recommendations for consideration, scheduled to be submitted to 27th October, 2021 meeting and that the Committee’s work programme be updated accordingly.