Agenda item

The Project Officer, Climate, Environment and Waste presented this report which updated the Committee on the greenhouse gas emissions for the Council’s estate and operations for 2021-22. It was understood that the data was collected in line with Government guidance. It was noted that South Cambridgeshire’s population had grown by 2.15% the Council’s emissions had decreased by 13.1%.

Transport

The Development Officer, Climate and Environment explained that the Council’s Planning Policy section could influence the transport policies that affected the District. The transport data came from the Government and was eighteen months old when received. The Development Officer, Climate and Environment did not believe that the information could be divided into public transport vehicles, private vehicles and freight but she agreed to check this and report back to the Committee. It was also hoped that officers could provide separate data on local traffic in the district and national traffic that was passing through the district, which the Council could have no real influence on.

[Following the meeting the Development Officer, Climate and Environmental ascertained that the Council has data on CO² emissions from diesel railways, road transport (subdivided into A roads, minor roads and motorways) and ‘other’.  For 2020 the data for South Cambridgeshire is as follows (all figures are tonnes CO2):

Diesel railways:  3.6

Road transport

 A roads 328.1

 Minor road 99.9

 Motorways 116.4

Other transport emission 7.0

Note that the Government considers all except Motorways to be under Local Authority influence.]

Energy use at South Cambs Hall

The Project Officer, Climate, Environment and Waste explained that the Council was reducing carbon emissions from its main office building through the installation of a ground source heat pump, solar car port and the use of lower energy LED lightbulbs. It was noted that energy use by staff who worked from home could be estimated by using the LGA accounting tool.

It was understood that the renovations at South Cambs Hall, including the installation of the ground source heat pump, would be completed by the end of the month. The Head of Climate, Environment and Waste explained that the increase in energy costs meant that the pay back period for the capital investment had reduced from around 15 years to around 10 years due to the increase in energy costs. He stated that the maintenance costs of the heat pumps were less than the maintenance cost of a conventional boiler. He agreed to arrange a tour of the building for members to see the energy saving improvements that had been implemented.

The Development Officer, Climate and Environment explained that it was difficult to find out whether the energy used by the ICT shared service could be divided by each individual local authority. She agreed to report back on this issue at the next meeting.

It noted that although the Council’s electricity tariff was certified as renewable, it was not possible to determine whether the power came directly from only renewable resources.

Reducing energy use when collecting waste

The Project Officer, Climate, Environment and Waste explained that the fuel use for waste collection was accurately divided between this authority and the City Council. The Chair explained that the Committee wanted to monitor the conversion of the fleet to electric vehicles.

The Development Officer, Climate and Environment explained that the bio-fuel used in waste vehicles was ethically sourced according to international accreditation standards. It was noted that this was a controversial issue and the Chair asked for further assurances on this matter. Councillor Brian Milnes asked for assurances that palm oil was not a component of this fuel.

Councillor Paul Bearpark suggested that residents should be encouraged to compost their waste instead of putting it in the green bin, as this would reduce the amount of energy needed to collect green waste. The Head of Climate, Environment and Waste stated that a home composting scheme was available to the District’s residents. He added that the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough waste strategy would be renewed at the end of the year and minimising green waste could be prioritised in the new Strategy. It was agreed that this suggestion should be put on the Forward Plan and discussed at the member workshop.

Councillor Brian Milnes, Lead Cabinet Member for Environment, suggested that the Council should consider promoting In-Vessel Composting (IVC), as it was an efficient way to compost bio-degradable waste. He called for a more co-ordinated approach in dealing with waste, which involved collection by the District Council and treatment by the County Council.

Improving the energy efficiency of housing

The Development Officer, Climate and Environment explained that the Council owned approximately 8% of the District’s homes and could also influence the energy efficiency of privately rented homes through the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES). It was noted that the £8.5 million fund for more energy efficient private housing was divided across four rural districts and the city council. This authority’s share of that funding was expected to help renovate approximately 100 homes.

Councillor Shrobona Bhattacharya suggested that due to advances in technology younger residents had been brought up in an unsustainable “excess” culture. It was agreed that residents needed to be encouraged to repair their goods and that this issue should be further considered at the forthcoming member workshop.

The Chair congratulated staff on achieving reductions in the Council’s emissions but the downward trajectory needed to continue. She suggested that a business plan was required that could focus on transport and housing to ensure that emissions continued to decrease.