To update the committee on information requested at the September 2008 meeting of Environment Scrutiny.  This includes:-

·          Progress on carbon management and in particular progress in reducing emissions to meet the Council’s Nottingham Declaration target of a 20% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020 (1.25% per year)

·          Current position in relation to fleet management of Council owned vehicles

·          Responsibilities for reading meters in council buildings

·          Update on progress in relation to the Local Area Agreement target (NI186) to reduce per capita carbon emissions by 4.9% (13.1% including national measures) by 2010

The Committee received an update on information requested at the September meeting.  This included:

·          Progress on carbon management and in particular progress in reducing emissions to meet the Council’s Nottingham Declaration target of a 20% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020 (1.25% per year);

·          Current position in relation to fleet management of Council owned vehicles;

·          Responsibilities for reading meters in council buildings; and

·          information in relation to the Local Area Agreement target (NI186) to reduce per capita carbon emissions by 4.9% (13.1% including national measures) by 2010

The Sustainability Manager presented her report setting out: the financial implications and highlighting the strong link between ongoing costs and carbon emissions; the ‘risk’ to the Council and the increasing public interest in the Council managing its own emissions and performance against targets.  Her report also set out: progress on carbon management, including the action plan to reduce Council carbon emissions for the current year (Appendix 1 to the report); the Council’s Carbon Emissions Inventory (Appendix 3 to the report); work around landfill emission reductions; the current position in relation to fleet management (Appendix 2 to the report); officer responsibility for reading Utility metres in Council buildings and initial information in relation to the Local Area Agreement target (NI186) on County per capita carbon reduction.

On scrutinising the report the following principal points were noted:

• Noting the strong upward pressure in fuel prices, which put pressure on budgets across the Council and schools, the Committee appreciated that strategic consideration needed to be given to better use of energy efficiency measures.  It was also questioned whether fuel price increases appeared on the Council’s risk register.
• Following on from the energy theme above the Committee questioned progress on the Council’s Accommodation Strategy as the Council’s properties probably have a major bearing on its carbon emissions.  In response the Director of Environment and Culture reported that the Council’s Property Section were the main driver for the Accommodation Strategy. The Committee requested a report on how the Accommodation Strategy could assist with meeting the Councils carbon management targets.  Concerns were voiced that, to show that the Council could lead by example, any new head quarters must be energy efficient and well designed.
• Director of Environment and Culture also reported that developments in ICT should enable more flexible and energy efficient ways of working e.g. home working or laptop use while on site.
• Responding to whether greater energy efficiency could be imposed through building regulation the Head of Planning and Transportation responded that local policy and Local Plans were ahead of the national legislation.  Efforts were made through the planning policy, or by local negotiation with developers, to raise building energy efficiency levels.  Greater success had been achieved with small local builders than with national companies.  The Cabinet Member (Environment and Strategic Housing) commented that while current development applications reached efficiency level 3 he expressed a wish to see level 4 being reached.  He also commented that, while the initial capital outlay may be more expensive, he wished to see greater energy efficiency measures incorporated into affordable housing.
• The Committee noted that work on reducing emissions from homes, businesses and transport (target NI186) had been temporarily affected by the resignation of the Climate Change Officer. The Director of Environment and Culture reported that due to budget pressures the vacancy would be re-evaluated in the New Year.
• Questioned whether any penalties were imposed on contractors by their inefficient use of fuel the Director of Environment and Culture reported that it was in contractors own financial interests to ensure the efficient use of plant and materials. Fleet fuel efficiency will specifically be addressed in new contracts.
• Responding to questions on the figures in section ‘8.2 landfill emissions ….’ Director of Environment and Culture reported that these were best estimates.  The new flare at Stretton Sugwas was providing data and work was underway to see if energy generation was feasible.
• In relation to the waste contract the Committee noted that while enhanced collection rounds, through greater collection of recyclables, would increase the carbon footprint it was hoped that this would be offset by a more varied use of the vehicles.
• Questioned on the integrated use of Council generated transport e.g. education, social services etc, the Director of Environment and Culture reported that the management of the Council fleet was due to be reported to the Council’s Joint Management Team.
• Comment was made that the level of ‘school run traffic’ increased the carbon emissions and radical thinking was needed to address this with questions being posed ‘why do schools start at the same time’ and ‘can better use be made of school busses’?  The Committee noted that this was a complex issue and the requirement of education was different from that of Social Services.  However, where possible the various teams liaised before any contracts were let so that where possible services were co-ordinated.  The Committee requested a report on how transport contracts for school/health/ social care/ public transport, including small fleet operators in the voluntary sector, were co-ordinated.
• The Interim Transportation Manager referred to statistics from the annual School Travel Survey which outlined changing patterns in travel to schools.  The Committee requested that the statistics be forwarded to them.
• Questioned why the opportunity had not been taken to use a carbon neutral fuel for the new Minster College, Leominster, and no heat recovery system had been fitted to the new crematorium, Hereford, the Director of Environment and Culture reported that the Council’s Property Section had considered the relevant specifications and the Cabinet Member (Environment and Strategic Housing) reported that this issues had been debated at Cabinet.  The Committee registered its concern that long term energy efficiency / carbon reduction measures needed to be given high consideration when new building projects were planed.
• The Committee requested background information on why a proposal to set up an ‘Invest to Save’ mechanism that would enable investment in energy efficiency works, in partnership with West Midlands Supplies (WMS) had not been progressed by the WMS Board.
• Noting the position outlined in the report (paragraph 8) concerning the Council’s fleet management and the work underway by the Energy Savings Trust the Committee requested that a more detailed report be made to a future meeting.  Noting that the Council managed 28 mopeds on behalf of the ‘Wheels to Work’ scheme the Committee requested further background information on the scheme.

RESOLVED: That:

The Committee adjourned for 5 minutes and resumed at 11.03am