This Council was one of the first District Councils to pledge a Zero Carbon target back in November 2018, before national government announced its Zero Carbon by 2050 legislation. The unanimous motion focused on delivering Zero Carbon by 2050 across the Greater Cambridge area through the next Local Plan and, indeed, the climate emergency is now a key issue for the new Local Development Plan, which is currently being drafted. Since last November, the Council has ensured that Zero Carbon is central to its corporate Business Plan, budget and new green investment strategy - in order to ensure the resources and officer time necessary to become the greenest Council. It has installed solar panels at the Waterbeach Waste Depot, drafted new Supplementary Planning guidance to support existing policy, and set up the new Zero Carbon Communities grant scheme. More still needs to be done. The Council is collating and commissioning evidence to determine how and when carbon reduction targets in each sector will be reached.
The Council, therefore, pledges to:
Decision:
Council AGREED the following motion:-
This Council was one of the first District Councils to pledge a Zero Carbon target back in November 2018, before national government announced its Zero Carbon by 2050 legislation. The unanimous motion focused on delivering Zero Carbon by 2050 across the Greater Cambridge area through the next Local Plan and, indeed, the climate emergency is now a key issue for the new Local Development Plan, which is currently being drafted. Since last November, the Council has ensured that Zero Carbon is central to its corporate Business Plan, budget and new green investment strategy - in order to ensure the resources and officer time necessary to become the greenest Council. It has installed solar panels at the Waterbeach Waste Depot, drafted new Supplementary Planning guidance to support existing policy, and set up the new Zero Carbon Communities grant scheme. More still needs to be done. The Council is collating and commissioning evidence to determine how and when carbon reduction targets in each sector will be reached.
The Council, therefore, pledges to:
Minutes:
Councillor Pippa Heylings moved the following motion, as set out on the agenda:
“This Council was one of the first District Councils to pledge a Zero Carbon target back in November 2018, before national government announced its Zero Carbon by 2050 legislation. The unanimous motion focused on delivering Zero Carbon by 2050 across the Greater Cambridge area through the next Local Plan and, indeed, the climate emergency is now a key issue for the new Local Development Plan, which is currently being drafted. Since last November, the Council has ensured that Zero Carbon is central to its corporate Business Plan, budget and new green investment strategy - in order to ensure the resources and officer time necessary to become the greenest Council. It has installed solar panels at the Waterbeach Waste Depot, drafted new Supplementary Planning guidance to support existing policy, and set up the new Zero Carbon Communities grant scheme. More still needs to be done. The Council is collating and commissioning evidence to determine how and when carbon reduction targets in each sector will be reached.
The Council, therefore, pledges to:
In moving her motion, Councillor Heylings outlined the positive measures the Council had taken in support of the motion adopted, with cross party support, on 29 November 2018, to transition to zero carbon through the Local Plan by 2050. However, she argued that there was still more to be done, referring to recent reports that the world may have already crossed a series of climate tipping points, with a warning of an existential threat to civilisation as impacts led to a cascade of unstoppable events and that there was now a need for urgent international action. Councillor Heylings urged the Council to join other authorities in declaring a climate emergency and to take the actions outlined in her motion, including calling for a report to be submitted to the Council within 6 months on carbon reduction targets and projects for the Council’s own buildings and operations. With respect to paragraph 3 of the motion, Councillor Heylings clarified that this proposal was intended to cover all strategic decisions, budgets and approaches to the Council’s own future planning decisions to ensure they were in line with the transition to zero carbon.
Councillor Bridget Smith seconded the motion and echoed the concerns expressed by Councillor Heylings. She referred to her recent attendance at the launch of the Cambridge Zero initiative and noted that David Attenborough, who had addressed the event remotely, had commented on the need for everyone to change their behaviours and share the responsibility for saving the planet.
During discussion:
· Councillor Deborah Roberts was not supportive of the motion and felt that until political leaders in the top carbon emitting countries faced their responsibilities, it was unrealistic to expect that any action taken by the Council would make a difference. She argued that officers should concentrate on their core jobs rather than focusing on activities related to tackling climate change.
· Councillor Tom Bygott spoke of the importance of meeting the national carbon targets before 2050 and believed that the Council should aim to meet its targets even earlier. He commented that improvements in air quality would benefit public health and, as green technology was the industry of the future, would also help to boost the local economy by supporting the many start-up companies in South Cambridgeshire.
· Councillor Peter Topping felt that it was important further to investigate positive action which the Council could take to contribute to carbon reduction locally, for example, by installing sustainable fuel efficient boilers in Council homes, especially for vulnerable and elderly tenants; providing for electric car charging points within new developments and considering the impact of potential flooding when considering planning applications.
· Councillor Grenville Chamberlain was supportive of the motion but argued that there was a need for total commitment by the Council to its zero carbon goals, referring to a potential infrastructure development under consideration by the Greater Cambridge Partnership, in which the Council was a partner, affecting his ward which might result in the removal of hundreds of trees.
· Councillor Brian Milnes commented that climate change was imminent; that the Council had the opportunity to take action which would have a meaningful local impact and that adopting the motion would demonstrate responsible climate leadership.
· Councillor Dr. Shrobona Bhattacharya supported the motion but felt that it was important that countries had regard to their international responsibilities and desisted from dumping rubbish in developing countries.
· Councillor Dr. Tumi Hawkins responded to the comment on charging points for electric vehicles, noting that the Council had to act in accordance with the policies in the current Local Plan in setting requirements for the provision of such charging points in new developments. However, it was anticipated that the new Local Plan would enhance the requirements relating to the provision of electric charging points.
In summing up, Councillor Heylings responded to the points raised in the debate, acknowledging the opportunity presented to grow the green economy in the District; agreeing that the Authority should investigate energy efficiency improvements in Council houses, especially for vulnerable people, and endorsing the view that waste should not be exported from developed to developing countries. She concluded by emphasising the climate emergency that the world was facing and the need for every local authority to act now to accelerate the shift towards zero carbon.
Upon being put to the vote, votes were cast as follows:
In favour (36):
Councillors Henry Batchelor, John Batchelor, Ruth Betson, Dr. Shrobona Bhattacharya, Anna Bradnam, Tom Bygott, Dr. Martin Cahn, Grenville Chamberlain, Graham Cone, Dr. Claire Daunton, Dr. Douglas de Lacey, Clare Delderfield, Sue Ellington, Neil Gough, Jose Hales, Bill Handley, Geoff Harvey, Dr. Tumi Hawkins, Pippa Heylings, Mark Howell, Steve Hunt, Alex Malyon, Peter McDonald, Brian Milnes, Dawn Percival, Judith Rippeth, Nick Sample, Bridget Smith, Hazel Smith, Dr. Ian Sollom, Peter Topping, Bunty Waters, Heather Williams, John Williams, Eileen Wilson and Nick Wright.
Against (1):
Councillor Deborah Roberts
Abstain (0):
Council
RESOLVED:
The Council, therefore, pledges to:
1. Declare a Climate Emergency;
2. Report to Full Council within 6 months on the carbon reduction targets and projects for the Council’s own buildings and operations;
3. Ensure that all strategic decisions, budgets and approaches to planning decisions by the Council are in line with a shift to zero carbon;
4. Ensure that the new Greater Cambridge Local Plan fulfills its role in bringing forward net zero carbon development, particularly in new housing and infrastructure, as well as ensuring that new development can adapt to our changing climate;
5. Work with partners across the district to deliver this target through investment, skills, strategies and planning; and
6. In order to enable South Cambridgeshire and the rest of the UK to reach net zero carbon before 2050, call on government, industry and regulators to implement the necessary changes with funding, transformed national infrastructure, policy, new technologies and legislation.