To review the Council’s corporate environmental management / ISO 14001 system to ensure that it continues to be suitable, adequate and effective, delivering improvement in environmental performance and full compliance with all relevant legal and other requirements.

The Committee reviewed the Council’s corporate environmental management / ISO 14001 system to ensure that it continued to be suitable, adequate and effective, delivering improvement in environmental performance and full complied with all relevant legal and other requirements.

The Sustainability Manager reported on the GEM / ISO14001 Management Review for the period October 2006 to September 2007, a copy of which was appended to the agenda report.

On scrutinising the report the following comments or principle points were noted:

• The Committee wished to continue to receive updates on the GEM performance and noted that the next report would include the outcome of the recent external inspection.
• Questioned on the recycling of trade waste the Cabinet Member (Environment) reported that while the Council had no statutory responsibility for trade waste the possibility of incorporating elements e.g. glass from pubs, into any revised collection contract was being investigated.  The Committee also noted the principle that the producer should pay.
• The Committee appreciated the good educational work being undertaken in schools on environmental issues, particularly through the EcoSchool scheme.  The Committee requested that information on the content of the scheme be provided to Members.
• Responding to whether GEM sought to preserve the County or allow for change, the Cabinet Member (Environment) reported that development in the County was governed by the Local Development Framework.
• That the Council’s GEM Policy was disseminated to the wider County via partners under the Community Strategy.
• Overall in 2006/07 the Council would have saved £4.5k by buying all greenlist rather than standard items from West Midlands Supplies.  In response to concerns that approving additional cost of up to 20% for greenlisted items could, for some items, represent a significant sum the Cabinet Member (Corporate Customer Services and Human Resources) as a Council member on the WMS Board, undertook to raise the issue at the next WMS Board meeting.
• Since compiling the report, efforts had been made to close out the non conformances and observations, however, issues around the Carbon Management Action Plan were still outstanding.  In relation to this the Director of Environment commented that the plan had a bearing on the Local Area Agreement and he was keen to ensure that the calculation methodology was correct.  Questioned on whether the County was likely to reach its carbon management target, and what quantitive reductions could be achieved by setting more stringent requirements for house building, the Cabinet Member (Environment) reported that the house building issue was being looked at, however, there was a balance to be struck between the need for new housing and meeting the carbon reduction target.  The Committee questioned whether set parameters were in place.
• Methane gas from landfill will be burnt more efficiently when the new flare is installed at Stretton Sugwas thus reducing the greenhouse gas emission.  However, these mitigating measures would not be counted under new National Indicators 185/186 for emissions. 
• Efforts were continuing to ensure confidence in the data sets relating to utility usage and billing.  It was anticipated that National Indicator 185 will give clear guidance on what data the government expected to be collected.  It was suggested that any new build premises should have easily accessible utility meters.
• The Committee supported the MY Energy initiative and encouraged all staff, including schools, to reduce costs, resource consumption and carbon emissions.  The Chairman of Strategic Monitoring Committee suggested that office relocation under the accommodation strategy should produce further environmental improvements.
• Consultancy under the Energy Savings Trust programme was only available to the end of the current financial year and so would not be available to schools.
• Questioned on recommendation 11 – misuse of sewage treatment plant – the Committee noted that this was an historical problem relating to the sale of properties connected to the plant.  In relation to recommendation 12 – single contract for maintenance of sewage works - the Committee requested that further information be provided.
• The new Hereford crematorium, which will have many environmentally beneficial features, was planned to open in November 2008.
• Noting the differing opinion expressed in the staff opinion survey responses between understanding their roles and feeling the Council was doing enough on environmental issues it was noted that a further staff survey was planned to establish greater detail and priority for action.
• Many of the main timber suppliers now stock timber that meets acceptable certification schemes and its use is now standard practice in Property Services and Amey Wye Valley Ltd.
• The Committee noted that only 4 out of 18 Directorate Service Plans had included specific environmental improvement targets in 2007/08.  Revised Service Plans were being monitored for 2008/09.

The Committee appreciated the detail in the report and complemented the good work being done.

RESOLVED: that subject to the above points the report be noted.