Cabinet considered the plan to deliver a 50% carbon reduction in the Council’s emissions by 2025/26, based on a 2018/19 baseline in line with the Council’s Environment and Climate Strategy.

Councillor Stimson, Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Sustainability, explained that in the Environment and Climate Strategy, approved in December 2020, the council had made a commitment for a science-based carbon reduction trajectory. The report related to the council’s carbon emissions, which was a small part of the overall total, but if the council was going to lead the way it needed to be on top of it. Between 2018/19 and 2025/26 the council committed to reducing emissions by 50% as part of a longer term plan to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050 at the latest.

The council’s emissions in 2018/19 were 4500 tonnes. A 50% target reduction by 2025/26 would require a reduction of 2292 tonnes. The paper set out how the council would achieve its target through a combination of operational changes, building improvements and decarbonisation. It outlined the work already completed and planned for the financial year. The report identified the required level of emission reductions need to meet the Corporate Plan goals and a programme of works to achieve that, based on the feasibility studies undertaken by independent specialists to identify opportunities to decarbonise the council’s estate.

Councillor Stimson referenced a number of projects including replacing lighting in 14 council buildings and schools with LEDs which delivered a typical 60% saving on the amount of energy and carbon they consumed. 90% of street lighting had been replaced with LEDs, leading to a 63% reduction in electricity consumption. At today’s electricity prices, this saved the council £798,000 annually. The final 10% would be completed in the next 12 months. New double glazing had been installed at Tinkers Lane and a number of schools. PV panels had also been installed at a number of schools. There had also been an awareness raising and education support programme to support behaviour change.

There were also projects planned for the coming year. The council had won a bid for capital funding of £1.45m  for Decarbonisation Phase 3. Schools with oil fired burners would be replaced, saving an estimated 185 tonnes.

Councillor Johnson seconded the proposal.

Councillor Hilton commented that the trajectory projected was impressive and the council was clearly on track to meet its commitment. As impressive was the ability of officers to secure external grant funding to enable projects to take place.

Councillor Rayner commented that she was pleased schools were benefitting, both in terms of saving money and modelling behaviour.

Councillor Stimson highlighted some of the work with MaidEnergy, a local co-operative that understood the borough and its residents well, including the installation of a heat pump at the Thames Valley Athletic Centre. MaidEnergy had approached both the council and the Climate Partnership with a number of well-founded case studies.

Councillor Coppinger commented that many residents, especially older residents, were concerned about how they would achieve the move. He therefore asked that ideas that could be replicated by others be publicised so everyone understood they were incremental steps.

Councillor Price commented that in the climate paper the council had used the Tindall curve but at section 2.4 of the report a straight-line had been used instead. This made it easier to achieve the target in the early years but more difficult in the long term. She did not understand why the change had been made. James Thorpe, Service Lead for Sustainability and Climate Change, explained that the trajectory to 2050 was using the Tindall curve but to make it simpler, between now and 2025/26, a broadly straight line was used. If it was extended out to 2050 the sharp increase at the beginning would still be evident.

Councillor Johnson commented that it was pleasing to see that carbon reductions were also leading to cost efficiencies.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That Cabinet notes the report and:

i)       Approves the plan to deliver a 50% carbon reduction in the Council’s emissions by 2025/26 based on a 2018/19 baseline in line with the Council’s Environment and Climate Strategy.