Agenda item

Report of the City Surveyor.

The Sub-Committee considered a report of the City Surveyor which provided a half-yearly performance update on energy reduction targets set out within the Carbon Descent Plan 2015. The report covered the six-month period for April to September 2016.

The City Surveyor explained that while the report covered a six-month period, longer term trends indicated that energy consumption across the Corporation may be increasing. He explained that further analysis of consumption figures was currently being undertaken and he would seek to submit a further report regarding this information to the Sub-Committee’s next meeting. In response to Members’ questions regarding this, the City Surveyor explained that there were Energy Managers within each Department, but there was not currently sufficient link between Departmental energy usage and the Corporation’s overall consumption targets. This was an area that the City Surveyor was seeking to address.

The City Surveyor advised Members that he would re-establish the Energy Board, with Chief Officers and other senior Officers as Members of the Board. Members suggested that it would be beneficial for Alderman Alison Gowman to attend meetings of this Board to provide a Member perspective.

A Member noted that while reducing energy consumption was important, it may be that consumption was not the most appropriate measure for energy usage, given that it may not factor in a more intensive use of assets. Therefore, he suggested that it may also be beneficial to track efficiency of energy usage, rather than just consumption. The Chairman noted that, in relation to this, there had been discussion regarding creating a “trading account” for Guildhall events and energy usage would be intrinsically related to this.

RESOLVED – That the Sub-Committee notes the report.