Climate Change Delivery Pathway

North Yorkshire Council

Transport, Economy, Environment and Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny

01 February 2024

Report of the Corporate Director Environment

1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT

1.1 To brief Members and seek feedback on the draft Climate Change Delivery Pathway

2.0 BACKGROUND

2.1 Executive approved the North Yorkshire Council Climate Change Strategy and endorsed the York and North Yorkshire Route map to Carbon Negative in July 2023. Executive also signed the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Action Pledge which is a commitment to act on climate and nature.

2.2 The North Yorkshire Council Climate Change Strategy outlined a number of activities which will be delivered over the next 7 years to 2030 to support the Council’s ambitions. The Climate Change Delivery Pathway (CCDP) sets out these actions in the short and medium term.

3.0 THE CLIMATE CHANGE DELIVERY PATHWAY

3.1 The CCDP is included in Appendix A and sets out the proposed actions against 4 sections of the Strategy:

i. Governance

ii. Mitigation

iii. Adaptation – to be developed.

iv. Supporting Nature

3.1.2 It outlines the key short-term – to March 2025 – tasks and indicates the medium-term (to 2030) actions which need to be undertaken to deliver the Strategy. Proposed metrics in the form of outcomes and outputs are included. A key Governance task is the development of the pathway or trajectory to achieve the Council’s ambition to be net zero by 2030 (in Governance section b(iii)) which will enable Members to ascertain progress.

3.2 The tasks and actions are assigned to lead Directorates. The development of the Directorate Action Plans (Governance section 2(a)) will support the identification of project sponsors for each task to ensure they are embedded, and ownership is taken. The newly restructure Climate Change Team includes 4 Climate Change Business Partners to provide advice and support to the Directorates to enable this approach. The format of the CCDP may therefore be amended to reflect this ownership via Directorates. The intention is to host the CCDP on a performance management and monitoring platform, rather than spreadsheet as presented with this report. This format is being further explored as the structure and metrics of the Pathway are determined.

3.3 Each task and activity listed either already has approval to proceed or will require a business plan to both proceed through the decision-making process to approval and to ensure that it is effectively planned and delivered. This is indicated in the ‘resource implication’ column.

3.4 The CCDP will be monitored and reviewed by the Beyond Carbon Board. The Board includes a representative from each Directorate and is chaired by the Assistant Director Environmental Services and Climate Change. Progress will be monitored through the achievement of qualitative outcomes and key performance indicator outputs, indicated in the CCDP document. The restructured Climate Change team includes a Strategy Manager post to ensure this is resourced effectively.

3.5 The CCDP is a dynamic document. It will be constantly updated and reviewed to ensure that new opportunities presented by future political, economic, technical, and social changes are embraced. It is recognised that at the time of writing, the first draft of the CCDP has some gaps and these will be reviewed prior to final versions being developed.

3.6 Following the review by this committee, a community-based workshop will be undertaken to further engage our residents in developing the actions to be undertaken. It will then be reviewed by Management Board.

3.7 Progress on delivering the Strategy will be reported annually to Executive, evidence of which will be based on the CCDP.

4.0 CONSULTATION UNDERTAKEN AND RESPONSES

4.1 Consultation with the Beyond Carbon Board regarding the structure has been undertaken.

4.2 Engagement is planned with community environmental group representatives as part of the development process (3.6 above.)

5.0 CONTRIBUTION TO COUNCIL PRIORITIES

5.1 The Council has declared a Climate Emergency and pledged to play its part in tackling the causes and impacts of climate change.

5.2 The Strategy delivers the following specific Council Plan ambitions:

· Place and Environment

o A clean, environmentally sustainable and attractive place to live, work and visit

o A well connected and planned place with good transport links and digital connectivity

o Communities are supported and work together to improve their local area

o Good quality, affordable and sustainable housing that meets the needs of our communities

· Economy

o Economically sustainable growth that enables people and places to prosper

o Culture, heritage, arts and sustainable tourism all play their part in the economic growth of the county

· Health and Wellbeing

o People are supported to have a good quality of life and enjoy active and healthy lifestyles

o Reduced variations in health through tackling the root causes of inequality

· People

o In times of hardship, support is provided to those that need it most

· Organisation

o A carbon neutral council

6.0 ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED

6.1 Various activities to deliver the Strategy have been considered through the development process and the draft CCDP reflects the most effective task and actions.

7.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

7.1 The financial implications of each element of the action plan will need to be considered in detail as it is developed and this consideration will need to take into account the Council’s many statutory and critical responsibilities and the Council’s financial circumstances, following financial approval processes.

7.2 A budget of £1 million was made available to NYCC from the 2021/22 budget as one-off revenue funding and is disbursed through the Beyond Carbon Board of which £342,441 carried over to NYC and District Councils also made budgetary provision for implementing climate change action plans for specific geographic locations.

8.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

8.1 There are now a number of Acts which seek to deal with the implications of Climate Change. These include the Climate Change Act 2008, which sets out a range of measures to deal with climate change including emission reduction targets which the UK must comply with, and which also introduced a system of carbon budgeting in order to achieve this. Furthermore, the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 Section 19 (1A) which requires local planning authorities to have policies in their Local Plans to secure that development and land use contribute to the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. In addition, the Environment Act 2021 also contains further targets to protect the environment, conserve and enhance biodiversity and to tackle the impacts of climate change. Regard has been given to all relevant legislation when preparing the strategy.

9.0 EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS

9.1 Throughout the CCDP, the opportunities to support an equal transition to a low carbon economy are highlighted, including the development of community-owned assets and upskilling in low carbon technologies. A review of geographical distribution of activities will also be undertaken. An Equalities Impact Assessment screening assessment. Appendix B indicates a full EIA is not required.

10.0 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS

10.1 The report outlines the climate change interventions that are required to secure our local and global future and meet locally derived ambitions and nationally required targets. The issues identified in the report have direct relevance to the activities we take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to prepare for climate change and to support nature to thrive. A full Climate Change Impact Assessment is in Appendix C.

11.0 REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

11.1 The draft CCDP will be used to performance manage the delivery of the North Yorkshire Council Climate Change Strategy, the Council’s operational decarbonisation activity and to further support residents, communities and businesses to take climate responsible actions to tackle the climate emergency and to monitor the delivery of the Strategy.

12.0

RECOMMENDATION

12.1

That Members note the draft Climate Change Delivery Pathway and provide feedback on the structure and content.

APPENDICES:

Appendix A – Draft Climate Change Delivery Pathway: Governance, Mitigation & Supporting Nature

Appendix B – Equalities impact assessment screening

Appendix C – Climate Change impact assessment

Karl Battersby,

Corporate Director Environment

County Hall

Northallerton

08.January 2024

Report Author: Jos Holmes, Climate Change Strategy Manager

Presenter of Report: Jos Holmes, Climate Change Strategy Manager

Note: Members are invited to contact the author in advance of the meeting with any detailed queries or questions