Agenda item

This report will follow in an Additional Papers pack once the report has been published for consideration of the Executive Committee (due for publication on Monday 29^th January 2024).

The Chair introduced this report and in doing so noted that the Performance Scrutiny Working Group had made a recommendation with respect to this report at their meeting on 8^th January 2024. The recommendation read as follows: that tree and hedgerow planting be added to the list of performance measures in the Carbon Reduction Strategy.

The Climate Change Manager and the Strategic Housing Services Manager jointly presented the report. Members were advised that when the Carbon Reduction Strategy was approved by Members in autumn 2022, it had been agreed that there should be an annual review of the strategy and the Council’s progress with achieving carbon reduction targets. Following the Council’s declaration of a climate emergency, the authority was aiming to achieve net zero by 2040. The aims and objectives detailed in the strategy would enable the Council to address this objective.

In terms of the eleven targets detailed in the report, seven had already commenced or been completed whilst four remained to be started. In particular, there had been a significant amount of work undertaken in respect of Local Authority Delivery Phase 3 (LAD 3), to retrofit properties in the private sector for low income households. The Town Hall improvement works that had already been undertaken as well as a reduction of 41 per cent in car mileage for staff employed by Redditch Borough Council had also had a significant impact on the progress with the Strategy that had been achieved to date.

It was noted that work on targets 5, 6 and 9: relating to creation of performance dashboard measures for carbon savings from streamlining operations, energy audit of server rooms, and energy assessment of shop mobility hub at Kingfisher Centre would commence this year.

Following the presentation, Members discussed the report and the following matters were raised:

• Carbon Reduction Strategy Performance Dashboard – Officers noted that once the dashboard is finalised, it would first be available internally to Officers only. When Officers had finalised the suite of measures, it would be released publicly, subject to elected members’ agreement. It was anticipated that the Performance Dashboard would be finalised by end of year two of the current Strategy (i.e. February/March 2025).
• Trial of eScooters in Redditch – It was confirmed that this would no longer be going ahead.
• Complete Carbon Literacy training for Corporate Management Team, 4^th Tier Managers and Councillors – It was noted that roll-out of this training was almost complete. Sessions to elected members would again be delivered in the new municipal year.
• It was requested by Members that at the next review a revised version of the Plan be provided with updated numbering and dates as the version provided included target dates that were now out of date. Officers undertook to correct this in the next iteration of the Plan.
• Members thanked the Officers for bringing the Carbon Reduction Strategy to Overview and Scrutiny. It was noted that this was the third time the Strategy was scrutinised this year, following scrutiny at meetings of Performance Scrutiny Working Group and Climate Change Working Group.

Following the discussion, the recommendation that was put forward by Performance Scrutiny Working Group on the 8^th January 2024 was moved and seconded for recommending to the Executive Committee and on being put to the vote it was carried.

A second vote then took place on the recommendations as printed in the reported and on being put to the vote, they were endorsed.

RECOMMENDED that

1)    The findings of this annual review of the Carbon Reduction Strategy (Appendix 2) be endorsed.

2)    Council accept the proposal to align Carbon Reduction Strategy measures to the Climate Action Scorecard into an accessible performance dashboard.

3)    Tree and hedgerow planting be added to the list of performance measures in the Carbon Reduction Strategy.