Councillors and committees

Decision details

Greener Futures Investment Programme

Decision Maker: Cabinet

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Purpose:

This report seeks endorsement from Cabinet for the initial Greener Futures Investment Programme and asks for Cabinet approval to continue to develop the initiatives outlined.

Decision:

RESOLVED:

 

1.    That the proposed investment in our Greener Futures Investment Programme was endorsed.

 

2.    That officers will further develop the pipeline capital schemes so that they are fully scoped and costed, refining the information contained in Annex 2. Individual schemes will be brought to Cabinet for approval when they are developed to business case stage be noted.

 

Reason for decision:

 

Surrey County Council is directly responsible for carbon emissions resulting from our own estate and operations. Due to the nature of the services we provide, there are also carbon emissions within the county which we can reduce through investment in infrastructure, planning policy and other measures. 

 

To tackle our own emissions, and those which fall within our scope of influence, to meet our 2030 and 2050 carbon reduction targets, we will be required to make significant changes to the way we deliver services across the spectrum of local authority activities. This will require additional resource, significant investment in our buildings and infrastructure and other associated costs. 

 

However, there is more that the Council will need to do to ensure that our capital investment maximises carbon reduction opportunities and that these schemes, once delivered, are monitored to determine that expected carbon reductions are realised.  Baseline emissions research for Surrey, produced by Leeds University, has identified that there are a number of proven cost-effective and technically viable carbon reduction options that the County Council could deliver in addition to our existing capital programme to reduce carbon emissions. These types of initiatives and schemes are included below in Annexes 2 and 3. The majority of these schemes are still at feasibility stage and so further work is required by officers to develop these to business case stage with accurate costings. This report requests approval from Cabinet to continue to develop these initiatives. 

 

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee]

 

Report author: Katie Sargent

Publication date: 01/04/2020

Date of decision: 31/03/2020

Decided at meeting: 31/03/2020 - Cabinet

Effective from: 08/04/2020

Accompanying Documents: