To receive a report from the Cabinet Member for Climate Change on their portfolio
Minutes:
The Committee had before it and NOTED a *briefing paper from the Group Manager for Corporate Property and Commercial Assets updating the meeting on the latest progress within the Climate Change Action Plan.
The Cabinet Member for Climate Change informed the meeting that the authority was a year on from the Devon Climate Change Declaration and that work had commenced on an action plan and that a Climate Handbook was being created to sit alongside that action plan. She outlined her new role as Cabinet Member and hoped that funding and additional/dedicated staff would be made able to help her in her role. She reported a successful meeting with officers across all services, the creation of the Net Zero Advisory Group which would have its first meeting in the coming week, the Climate Conversation event which would also take place in the coming week and the work that was taking place across Devon.
The Group Manager for Corporate Property and Commercial Assets outlined the contents of the report highlighting the contents of the action plan, the various categories within the plan and the various scoping documents. He explained that with the funding available in the Capital Programme certain end of life assets had been replaced. He outlined the draft climate CO2 reduction chart by project, work-stream, project by year and by category and the work that was taking place across Devon with regard to the Devon Carbon Plan.
Consideration was given to:
· The clear potential benefits and tracking system outlined in the report
· The lessons that could be learnt from the Covid 19 pandemic
· Funding was still work in progress
· Biodiversity and the plan to plant wild flower meadows on green infrastructure across the district
· The benefits of partnership working
· Crops being harvested to feed AD plants, rather than being using for agriculture and whether AD plants were industrial rather than agricultural practice
· Grants available for managing hedgerows etc
Note: *Briefing paper previously circulated, copy attached to minutes.
Supporting documents: