To introduce the national indicators on climate change and outline the major sources of carbon emission from the council and its contractors in order to inform sustained efforts to reduce emissions over the next decade and beyond.

The Committee were informed of the national indicators on climate change and given an outline of the major sources of carbon emission from the council and its contractors in order to inform sustained efforts to reduce emissions over the next decade and beyond.

The Sustainability Manager presented her agenda report which highlighted: the strong link between ongoing costs and carbon emissions, mainly through energy usage; that the council leads on the Herefordshire Partnership Local Area Agreement target to cut the county carbon emissions, and the risk to the council through not meeting the various targets.  The report also described the new National Indicator set namely: NI186 (county carbon reduction per capita), NI185 (Percentage CO2 reduction from Local Authority operations) and NI188 (Planning to adapt to climate change). The report further informed of work to determine the impact of the Council’s own vehicle fleet.

On scrutinising the report the following principal points were noted:

• Questioned whether the Council could meet the government stretched target to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 the Sustainability Manager responded that whether this could be achieved was currently unknown.
• In many cases initial financial investment was needed to achieve long term savings and this needed to be costed for each scheme.
• Improvements to building insulation were being made through the new planning legislation.  The Council were also offering insulation grants to those on benefits or the elderly to assist in raising property insulation standards.  The Committee requested further information on the work underway, and what further work could be done, to raise energy standards of new housing through Forward Planning requirements and building legislation.
• While the Council was currently achieving its carbon reduction target it was pointed out that this was largely due to the one-off gain in including the landfill gas flare.  The Committee questioned how continued reductions were to be made.  The Director of Environment and Culture commented that while it was currently uneconomic to sell the landfill gas the situation would be kept under review.
• Questioning why the Council no longer used ‘green electricity’ and what the public perception to this may be, the Cabinet Member (Environment) commented that electricity was purchased via the councils purchasing consortia (West Mercia Supplies) who had ceased this facility.  He appreciated the public perception issue and undertook to make further enquiries.
• While a report was planned for the June Committee on street lighting energy consumption the Director of Environment and Culture reported that a grant had been obtained to undertake a pilot study into replacing current lighting with LED lighting.
• Responding to whether the Councils vehicle fleet were entirely diesel powered, the Committee noted that the 2000+ vehicles indicated in the ‘fleet summary’ were mainly vehicles owned by staff or Councillors and used for business mileage.  The remainder, principally owned by Council contractors, were a range of vehicles using a variety of engine types. 
• The Committee noted that vehicles in Council ownership were owned by individual directorates rather than centrally under a Fleet Manager and therefore work on determining the impact of the Council owned fleet was continuing.  The Director of Environment and Culture acknowledged that a strategic approach was needed.  The Cabinet Member (Environment) undertook to raise the fleet manager/fleet management issue with fellow Cabinet Members.  The Committee requested that a further report, looking at the number and type of vehicle involved and the potential cost/benefit of appointing a Fleet Manager, be scheduled in the work programme for the June Committee.
• It was suggested that baseline data on vehicle mileages should be compiled now so that a comparison can be made following any relocation to a central Council HQ.
• While the Council had many hundreds of sites around the County, work was progressing on establishing baseline data on energy and water usage in council buildings which would thereby provide a clearer picture of CO2 and cost.
• Responding to when a replacement Climate Change Officer was to be appointed the Director of Environment and Culture reported that the vacancy was being reviewed as part of the overall review of the directorate which was due to be completed by 1st April 2009.

RESOLVED: That subject to reports on options to increase energy standards through planning requirements and building standards and further information on the Council fleet/fleet management being scheduled into the work programme for the June Committee the report be noted.