Issue - meetings

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]

The Cabinet Member for Environment & Waste explained how the Council, after declaring a Climate Emergency and committing to becoming net zero carbon by 2050, needed to work with partners, residents, businesses and Government to deliver urgent action to reduce carbon emissions produced in our county.  The Council was currently finalising an ambitious and forward-thinking climate change strategy for the county, working closely with borough and district partners. The strategy would be published in April.  The submitted report set out the Greener Futures Investment Programme (GFIP) including the initial investment approach over the next five years.  This would continue to evolve as the climate change strategic framework was developed. An outline of the GFIP was set out in annexes to the submitted report:

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.