To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillor Rob Owens and Ross Cook (Corporate Director Economy and Environment).

To receive details of members nominated to attend the meeting in place of a member of the committee.

None.

To receive declarations of interests from members of the committee in respect of items on the agenda.

None.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 22 January 2024.

[Papers to follow]

The minutes of the previous meeting were received.

Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 22 January 2024 be confirmed as a correct record and be signed by the Chairperson.

To receive any written questions from members of the public.

None.

To receive any written questions from members of the council.

None.

The report updates the Environment and Sustainability Scrutiny Committee on progress towards the net zero carbon target for Herefordshire. The report details the current figures for the County’s greenhouse gas emissions, trends indicated by the emissions reduction data, the work of the Herefordshire Climate and Nature Partnership (HCNP) Board and the challenges to reaching our net zero carbon target by 2030.

The Committee received and took the the ‘Meeting Net Zero in Herefordshire’ report as read. Committee members were invited to discuss the report with The Sustainability ? Climate Change Officer and The Head of Environment Climate Emergency and Waste Services. The Cabinet Member for the Environment was also in attendance.

1.    The Committee enquired as to what the council officers in attendance understood by the term Net Zero.

·         The Sustainability and Climate Change Officer responded that Net Zero could be defined as zero emissions of greenhouse gases from operations and activity. This did not necessarily mean that emissions were zero, but that the net result was zero. Any emissions that were produced were offset or ‘inset’ in some manner, usually from the natural environment being able to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The goal was that emissions would be offset or eliminated resulting in zero overall greenhouse gas impact emissions.

2.    The Committee wished to highlight that Net Zero was not the point at which the population was no longer warming the atmosphere, but was actually the stage at which the population exerted the maximum warming on the atmosphere.

3.    The Committee asked officers if the council had given any consideration to what would happen beyond 2030 and how it would continue working in terms of trying to have a positive impact on the environment in Herefordshire.

·         The Head of Environment Climate Emergency and Waste Services stated that the Herefordshire target of 2030 was extremely ambitious and that the national target was lower. The council’s carbon management plan was set out in five year blocks. It was currently in the middle of its third carbon management plan and would be developing the fourth one later in 2024, which would take it up to Net Zero. Beyond 2030 would involve looking at how the council and county might become carbon negative, but no targets had been set on this as the focus was currently on achieving the Net Zero target.

·         It was pointed out that since 2008, when the council determined the original baseline, the focus had been on reducing consumption and improving efficiencies, but as work moved into the higher levels of the hierarchy of action the focus would shift to offsetting and becoming carbon negative.

4.    The Committee enquired why there were long term plans and targets running up to 2050 for economic issues, but no equivalent for the environmental side of things.

·         The Cabinet Member for the Environment noted this an interesting point and explained that climate change was already embedded in plans, such as the council’s Local Plan, that had long-term timelines. The Cabinet Member was open to the idea of giving consideration to a climate plan that was an extrapolation of exiting plans.

·         The Head of Environment Climate Emergency and Waste Services pointed out that in addition to the climate strategy and delivery plans, the environment was also embedded via the council’s environment policy and decision-making processes. The environment and climate was a wide-ranging golden thread,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78.

To consider the work programme for the committee.

The Committee had recently held a work programme planning session where it had identified a number of topics it wished to bring forward for 2024/25. These were:

-       Public Rights of Way and Greenways

-       Tree and Hedgerow Strategy and Management

-       Energy Efficiency and Retrofitting

-       Active Travel Measures including 20mph speed limits.

-       River Lugg Pollution.

The Statutory Scrutiny Officer explained that there would be a session in early May for directors and members to discuss any topics and training required. By the end of May there would be a work programme in place for 2024/25 with commitments from directors and officers to deliver reports for the agreed topics.

To provide updates on developments and activity relevant to the committee’s remit.

The chair informed the committee that he had spoken with the democratic services manager regarding outstanding executive responses to recommendations and that these would hopefully be available for discussion at the next meeting. The cabinet member for the environment stated that they would follow up on the progress of the responses. 

Monday 22 July 2024 10.00 am

Provisional dates for approval:

Monday 23 September 2024 10.00 am

Monday 18 November 2024 10.00 am

Monday 20 January 2025 10.00 am

Monday 24 March 2025 10.00 am

Monday 22 July 2024, 2:00pm