Agenda item

Invitees:

-       Councillor Jason Hughes – Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development

-       Ross Cudlip – Carbon Reduction Manager

The Cabinet member for Sustainable Development introduced the item stating that this was Committee’s first consideration of the Council’s Carbon Management Plan 2018-2022. He acknowledged the challenges ahead and said we had built a strong foundation and could be proud of our achievements to date. The Carbon Reduction Manager gave a Powerpoint presentation setting out the Council’s vision, mission, objectives and strategy for carbon reduction from 2018 until 2022 and beyond.

Key points highlighted were:

-       The ultimate target of the CMP is for the Council to achieve Carbon Neutrality by 2030 with plans running from 2018-2022, 2022-2026 and 2026 until 2030.

-       Aim to be a globally responsible organisation by decarbonising our buildings, fleet and operations while reducing our costs and environmental impact for the benefit of future generations.

-       Progress against 5 key objectives :-

·         Reduce total carbon emissions in the shortest possible timeframe  -  Currently ahead of target

·         Make our buildings more energy efficient and improve user comfort - Draught-proofing and new lighting has improved user comfort in some buildings. This will to be replicated across the entire estate.

·         Reduce our total energy demand and dependence on imported energy through the use of on- site renewable energy generation - 7% of the electricity we consumed in 2020/21 was generated from solar PV panels on our roof. In the future we will need to maximise this proportion.

·         Reduce our business travel, fuel consumption and transition our fleet to electric or alternatively fuelled vehicles - All of these metrics are being progressed as we move to video conferencing and an electric fleet.

·         Where opportunities arise, engage with and support external organisations working to reduce carbon emissions in the Newport area -We have supported diocese schools with community solar installations and engaged with other public sector organisations on a range of matters.

Members then asked the following:

·         Members commented that it was pleasing that we had a dedicated Carbon Reduction Manager post for this very important issue. It was then asked that in order to achieve 100% reduction in carbon emissions would require some offsetting. How could reduction be maintained each year?

The Carbon Reduction Manager responded that the reduction levels were not linear but rather a reduction each year. We were now at the stage of delivering retrofits for our buildings that had greatest consumptions and this would give us a reasonable idea of the measures we could take to achieve reductions each year. The ambition was to remove as much gas use from our estate so that we would be able to bring in zero carbon electricity to replace it.

·         If our street lighting columns were LED and were there any grants available for domestic solar panel installation?

The Carbon Reduction Manager explained that not all the lighting columns had suitable fittings for LED lighting but the vast majority of our stock was now LED lighting. In regards to solar panels, there were no longer grants available, but householders with solar panels fitted were able to sell back their energy to suppliers and recoup installation costs in that way.

·         A member asked about the use of heat pumps to replace gas boilers and the feasibility of this in households.

The Carbon Reduction Manager explained that much of our Council estate generally had space to accommodate heat pump paraphernalia such as on the roof of buildings or within grounds of existing sites. Whilst some of these could be fairly complex installations taking heat from the environment outside, for domestic properties these could be from the ground or water which could be much more inconspicuous.

The Chair thanked the Officers for their contribution and responses to Members questions.

Conclusion - Comments to the Cabinet

The Committee noted the Carbon Management Plan- Progress Monitoring reportand agreed to forward the minutes to the Cabinet as a summary of the issues raised. The Committee wished to make the following comments to the Cabinet:

·         The Committee thanked the officers for attending and praised the precise and information presentation. Members were happy with the information received in the Carbon Management Plan and the progress that has been made against the targets. Members also praised the ambition and aspiration for the city to be carbon neutral by 2030.

·         The Committee also wished to voice their pleasure of the appointment of a Carbon Reduction Manager so Members and officers are able to readily get advice.