Agenda item

Questions

Minutes:

Carbon Emissions and Environmental Issues

Alderman Alison Gowman asked a question of the Chair of the Policy and Resources Committee concerning initiatives on climate change.

 

Responding, the Chair advised that the City Corporation had a Responsible Business Strategy which set out its commitment to a healthier planet. The Chair also listed some of the initiatives concerning climate change, such as the City Corporation’s new transport strategy, the Green Finance Initiative and the new set of London-specific proposals which will provide new adoptive powers for London local authorities to control emissions.

 

The Chair, whilst agreeing that some of these initiatives had been uncoordinated, advised Members of the new officer group aiming to deliver a Climate Action Strategy, which would report back to the Policy and Resources Committee on all the City Corporation’s activity in this area.

 

In response to a supplementary question from Alderman Alison Gowman asking how the City Corporation would seek to minimise carbon emissions, the Chair advised that the Property Investment Board was shortly to commence a review of all the City Corporation’s investment properties. This was with a view to establishing performance criteria and prioritising refurbishment to improve energy efficiency where required. The Policy Chair also reported that she had asked officers to look at the financial implications of accelerating the Carbon Reduction Plan on operational properties, so as to achieve the targets prior to 2025.

 

In response to a further supplementary question from Andrien Meyers which asked about a City Corporation-wide policy on responsible investing, the Policy Chair explained that a section of the Responsible Business Strategy was designated to this. She added that the City Corporation had demonstrated its commitment to this area by signing up to the United Nation’s Principles of Responsible Investment. Further, the Investment Committee had recently endorsed a proposal to undertake a review across the City’s Investment asset classes, to consider how best to apply high standards of sustainability and responsibility to their management.