Cabinet considered the report regarding the proposed adoption of the Environment and Climate Strategy and the adoption of the Single Plastics Strategy.

Cabinet was addressed by Fiona Hewar who informed that this was a big day in our lives as Cabinet were proposing to adopt the strategies.  She thanked the councillors for their work and especially the Lead Member.  This was the culmination of 2 years of lobbying and campaigning especially from the RBWM Climate Emergency Coalition. She thanked all the groups involved, councillors and officers.  This is an emergency and writing the strategy was the beginning the real work started now.  It was hoped that many more people, businesses and organisations would join them in tackling the climate emergency.

The Lead Member for Climate Change, Sustainability, Parks and Countryside thanked Fiona Hewar for her words and informed Cabinet that the strategy had been developed by many people and she thanked Orlagh McColgan, who at nine years old in February 2019, inspired by Greta Thunberg, pressed her mum Sarah and subsequently our councillors to declare a climate emergency, which Council did in 2019. 

She also thanked the 80 stakeholders who contributed to the strategy, to the councillors who unanimously approved it in June 2020, to the 347 residents who responded to the public consultation, to the cross party steering committee, to LEAFY (our Local environment action for youth) and to the stakeholder advisory group, all of whom have moulded and shaped this document since we held our first workshop late last year.  She also thanked officers Chris Joyce, Olivia MCGregor, James Thorpe and Russell O’Keefe for their hard work.

The consultation showed that there was strong support for the strategy overall, with the vast majority of people in support of the four themes and objectives.  It also revealed that there is a lot of enthusiasm in the community to help us deliver the strategy as we move forward.  Our ambitious plans recognise the key role the Government will have in driving the agenda forward at a national level and enabling action at a local level through supporting policy and funding.

Cabinet were informed that there had been several improvements as a consequence of the public consultation:

·         we have strengthened the trajectory to be consistent with the Paris Climate Agreement, and will be using the Tyndall figures.

·         We will have to ensure faster decarbonisation earlier, so as to keep up with our trajectory

·         Set more specific targets for improved air quality.

·         To expand our engagement section, with the advisory board including young people. 

Alongside the strategy, the Lead Member was seeking endorsement from Cabinet for the Single use plastic strategy which had been driven and created from within the community.  This had been as a result of the hard work of Paul Hinton, who had worked initially with colleagues from Plastic Free Windsor and then with the officers to create the plastic free strategy, with action plans for the community and council to take forward.

The next stage was to prioritise and have collaborative working.  The high percentage of emissions came from energy consumption in buildings so she would be working with the Lead Member for Planning on an action in the energy theme

A “sustainability and energy efficient design” position statement was due to go to cabinet in January.  It would set out how the Council will ensure compliance with the adopted planning policy, NPPF, and national commitments relating to climate change.  It will apply to all development proposals with a floor space above 100 sq.m2.

Cabinet were informed that the document would drive decisions, resources and actions.  When acted upon, it would create a more sustainable borough that was also a healthier, more community focussed places to live.

The Chairman endorsed what had been said but also mentioned that is was a shame it had not been implemented faster but they had been restricted by the pandemic.

The Lead Member for Transport and Infrastructure mentioned that he had presented the original motion to Council and was pleased to see the strategy being brought before Cabinet.  The strategy was a result of much hard work and he read out the following vision statement ‘Our vision is to be a Borough where the community collectively works together to achieve a sustainable future; by protecting and enhancing our natural environment and achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 at the latest, and rapid decarbonisation before then.’

The Lead Member for Finance and Ascot highlighted how a number of parties had been brought together to help tackle climate emergency with common objectives.  He said he looked forward to the next steps.

Cllr Davies mentioned that as a member of the cross party working group she wished to eco the thanks to officers and those involved.  She was pleased to see that resident’s concerns about air pollution had been included as well as the air quality aim.  She said residents had raised questions about the council’s scope of monitoring pollution.  She was pleased to see that the single use plastic strategy had been included.  The climate emergency response had been the most important thing she had been involved in since being a councillor.

Cllr Jones thanked all who had worked on the strategies, especially the cross party working.  She questioned if the air pollution targets were robust and how they would be monitored with more detail on areas of concern. 

The reporting Lead Member responded that air quality had been an identified issue that would be taken forward and welcomed input from councillors.

The Deputy Chairman of Cabinet, Adult Social Care, Children’s Services, Health and Mental Health reported that he wanted to thank all the young people who had engaged  with the development of the strategy.  It was important to take difficult decisions to make behavioural change.

Resolved unanimously: that  Cabinet notes the report and:

i) Approves the Environment and Climate Strategy for adoption.

ii) Endorse the Single Plastics Strategy and approves that the actions

    set out in the document be incorporated into the action planning

    process for the Environment and Climate Strategy.