Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Environment, Climate Change and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee - Thursday, 22nd June, 2023 2.00 pm

Venue: Council Antechamber, Level 2, Town Hall Extension. View directions

Contact: Lee Walker, Scrutiny Support Officer 

Media

Items
No. Item

34.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 97 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 25 May 2023.

Minutes:

Decision

 

To approve the minutes of the Environment and Climate Change Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 25 May 2023 as a correct record.

 

35.

Climate Change Action Plan Work Programme 2023-24 pdf icon PDF 111 KB

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer

 

The Council declared a Climate Emergency in July 2019 and developed a Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) 2020-25, which was approved by Executive in March 2020. This report provides an update on the work programme for the third year of the Action Plan (CCAP Work Programme 2023-24).

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer that provided Members with an update on the work programme for the third year of the Action Plan (CCAP Work Programme 2023-24).

 

Key points and themes in the report included:

 

·         Describing the actions to be progressed in Year 4 of the Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) 2020-25;

·         The achievements and highlights of Year 3 would be detailed in the Annual Report 2022-23 which would be presented to the Committee and the Executive in September 2023 and would then be made available on the Council’s website;

·         Noting that the actions described were structured across the following five workstreams:

1.  Buildings and Energy.

2.  Transport and Travel.

3.  Reducing Consumption Based Emissions and Influencing Suppliers.

4.  Climate Adaptation, Carbon Storage and Carbon Sequestration.

5.  Influencing Behaviour and Being a Catalyst for Change; and

·         Distinguishing between those actions that were Council Actions and those that were City Actions.

 

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

 

·         What were the identified challenges on delivery of the actions in year 4;

·         How was the breadth of good work and progress made communicated to residents of the city, adding that this was important to influence wider behaviour change in relation to climate action;

·         Were there enough recycling facilities across the Council buildings estate sufficient to enable all staff to recycle appropriately;

·         More information was requested in relation to green skills and housing, with particular reference to Registered Housing Providers across the city;

·         Did we use all available levers to influence partners and other sectors across the city to take immediate action to address climate change;

·         Noting the reference to the Manchester Food Board and commenting that methene associated with food waste was a significant contributor to climate change;

·         Further information was requested in relation to the sustainable materials list that identified carbon and whole life costs for Highways that had been identified as an action in workstream 2; and

·         Consideration needed to be given to advertising that was displayed across the city so as not to promote high carbon emission activities or products.

 

In response to the Members’ comments and questions the Zero Carbon Manager described that the key areas and challenges related to buildings and transport. She stated that significant progress had been achieved and reported to the Committee in regard to reducing emissions across the Council owned estate; however, domestic retrofit, across all sectors was a challenge. She described that they worked closely with the Climate Change Partnership and used the experience and outcomes achieved across the Council estate to provide examples of good practice to influence the commercial sector. She described that they were also working with Registered Housing Providers as part of the wider approach to housing retrofit and the Committee noted that they would receive a substantive report on this work at their September meeting, adding that this would also include consideration of skills.

She further added that information and updates in relations to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.

36.

Staff Business Travel and Active Travel Policy pdf icon PDF 244 KB

Report of the Director of Human Resources, Organisational Development and Transformation

 

This report provides information on the progress being made towards embedding a culture of sustainable staff travel within the council (as part of the Staff Travel policy).

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Human Resources, Organisational Development and Transformation that provided information on the progress being made towards embedding a culture of sustainable staff travel within the council, as part of the Staff Travel policy.

 

Key points and themes in the report included:

 

·         Providing an introduction and background;

·         Noting that the Staff Travel Policy was presented to the Personnel Committee in December 2021 with a subsequent launch of the policy in 2022;

·         The relationship to the Our Manchester Strategy;

·         Providing a progress update across a range of key initiatives; and

·         Case studies.

 

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

 

·         Welcoming the inclusion of case studies, commenting that these needed to be communicated widely with staff to promote behaviour change;

·         Noting that staff working from home had reduced the number of commutes undertaken by staff;

·         Welcoming the significant reduction in air miles reported;

·         Was there enough appropriate bike storage space available to support staff travelling by bike across all sites;

·         Noting that there was currently no reporting system in place that captured staff that walked during business hours as the data was expenses led, but welcomed that consideration to alternative methods of capturing this mode of active travel were under consideration;

·         Welcoming that Beryl Bike hire was included in the expenses claim scheme; and

·         Could the Cycle to Work Scheme allowance be used to purchase wet weather clothing.

 

The Director of HROD & Transformation acknowledged the comment regarding the impact staff working from home had on the number of commutes undertaken. He commented that this arrangement was specific to service need, however the use of technology, such as the use of Teams to conduct meetings had contributed to reducing the number of business journeys undertaken.  

 

The Zero Carbon: Workforce Development Manager informed the Committee that an audit of bike storage facilities would be undertaken across the estate to ensure capacity was there to support staff travelling by bike. She acknowledged the comments regarding the need to capture staff walking data and stated that they were working with the Performance, Research and Intelligence Team to progress this. She added that data in relation to tram and bus travel would be included in any future update report to the Committee.

 

The Zero Carbon: Workforce Development Manager welcomed the positive feedback from the Members in relation to the case studies provided, adding that it was the intention to produce these in a video format that could be cascaded to staff through targeted communications, in addition to the written format. The Executive Member for Environment and Transport welcomed this approach and stated that this could be used to articulate good practice with partners across the city and support the stated ambitions described in ‘Workstream 5 - Catalysing Change and Behaviour Change’ that was considered under the previous agenda item. 

 

The Zero Carbon: Workforce Development Manager responded to specific questions by advising that services and managers would be supported to set out how they would embed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36.

37.

Overview Report pdf icon PDF 153 KB

Report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit

 

This is a monthly report, which includes the recommendations monitor, relevant key decisions, the Committee’s work programme and any items for information.

Minutes:

The report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit which contained key decisions within the Committee’s remit and responses to previous recommendations was submitted for comment. Members were also invited to agree the Committee’s future work programme.

 

Decision

 

The Committee notes the report and agrees the work programme.