Agenda item

Climate Action Strategy

Report of the Director of Innovation & Growth.

 

NB:- Please note that this item is to be read in conjunction with item 14: confidential appendix.

Minutes:

The Sub-Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk outlining the proposed Climate Action Strategy.

 

The Policy Chair introduced the report and focused on the importance of delivering a hallmark strategy for the future of the City but in the context of huge financial pressures. Deputy Keith Bottomley, Alderman Alison Gowman and Deputy Jamie Ingham Clark, who had been working closely on the strategy over the August then gave updates as follows:-

·         This strategy needed to be impactful, deliverable, and affordable. No services would be affected, nor major projects impacted. All decisions on this strategy would be forward-looking.

·         Member engagement was intensified through the Summer and the strategy would be considered by 8 committees in September to confirm their support for the onward development of the action plan. Externally, an engagement campaign has been run, which had received 2,500 responses.

·         In terms of funding, work has been carried out to ensure that the source of funds had been identified before presenting the strategy. There would also be return on investment and cashflow to ensure it could be delivered. This model should be used for future strategies.

 

Members asked for clarification on the governance process of this strategy, as some felt that more of the Open Spaces Committees should be consulted formally rather than just through a Chairs’ meeting. It was confirmed that the Policy and Resources Committee, at its June meeting, had previously approved that the governance of this strategy would sit with the Policy and Resources Committee meeting on 24 September, followed by the Court of Common Council meeting on 8 October. Some Members still felt that this governance structure did not allow committees to “buy-in” from a budgeting perspective.

 

Following a question, the Director of Innovation and Growth and the Chamberlain agreed that the annual programme of projects had been reviewed over the Summer and that this Sub-Committee would be considering the prioritisation of these projects at the meeting on 18 September.

 

RESOLVED, that:-

·         The report, the draft strategy and the action sets by committee be noted.

Supporting documents: