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 2020-25, which was approved by Executive in March 2020. This report provides an update on the progress that has been made in delivering the Plan over the last 3 months (April – June 2021).

The Committee considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer that provided an update on the progress that had been made in delivering the Plan over the last 3 months (April – June 2021), noting that Council declared a Climate Emergency in July 2019 and developed a Climate Change Action Plan 2020-25, which was approved by Executive in March 2020.

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

·                Recognising the significant progress made to date to reduce carbon emissions;

·                Requesting that reports to the Committee that were publicly available on the website should include bar charts to track emissions against the carbon budget;

·                All RAG ratings needed to include figures, targets and comparative data where available.

·                Consideration needed to be given as to how the impact of actions were assessed and reported;

·                Noting that research undertaken by the Local Government Association had described that Councils had significant wider influence to reduce emissions, in addition to those that they were directly responsible for;

·                Information that was published on the website needed to be clear and accessible

·                Information was sought on available and future funding sources to progress this work, in particular the retrofitting of homes;

·                An update was sought on the recruitment to posts within the Manchester Climate Change Agency (MCCA);

·                Noting the levels of occupancy within the Private Rented Sector (PRS) it was important that private landlords improved their housing stock to reduce carbon emissions;

·                All new housing developments should include solar panels;

·                The need to capture the impact of COVID within the plan, noting the new ways of working and people’s travel arrangements, adding the need to recognise the impact on emissions as a result of working from home;

·                Were the emissions savings achieved through the buildings estate a result of COVID and the new ways of working and was this sustainable long term;

·                Noting that the University had developed a Place Based Carbon Calculator;

·                Noting that the report was honest and transparent and had included a discussion on the Risks and Issues identified;

·                Noting the challenges and barriers experienced by different groups across this city it was important to ensure that engagement with residents on the issue of climate change needed to be appropriate;

·                Clarification was sought as to the reasons for the reported air travel;

·                An update was sought on the calls for the Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) to divest from investing in fossil fuels;

·                Carbon Literacy training needed to be delivered in schools, including those schools cross borders that children attended, adding that the voice of young people and schools should be included in the development of climate change ward action plans; and

·                The need to ensure that the correct species of trees be planted in locations such as near schools and on road routes so as to maximise their carbon capture.

The Strategic Lead Policy and Partnerships updated the Members in regard to the recruitment to posts within the MCCA by advising that the Director will be starting 1 October 2021 and the recruitment to the post of Deputy Director was about to commence. In addition, the Policy and Strategy Lead would be starting 20 September 2021, the Programme and Finance Officer was currently in post as was the Residents and Communities Lead. He advised that all of these posts were funded by Manchester City Council. In addition, the post of Youth Champion had been appointed funded by crowd funding and the Adaptation and Resilience Officer was also in post via a secondment from Manchester Metropolitan University. He further informed the Committee that here were five other roles identified on the MCCA structure but filling these would be dependent on funding from other members of the Manchester Climate Change Partnership.

In response to the issue of funding, the Strategic Lead Policy and Partnershipscommented that the pipeline of projects described within the plan helped to inform and articulate all funding opportunities. He stated that work had been undertaken to understand the projected figures to deliver retrofitting works and this evidence would be submitted as part of the ask of the government’s spending review. He commented that carbon reduction also informed the Economic Recovery Plan for the city. 

The Zero Carbon Manager acknowledged the comments regarding the reporting of data, adding that the emissions against carbon budget was produced in the annual report as there were challenges regarding the frequency and verification of data reporting and the risk of double counting when reporting. The Committee were informed that the issue regarding the RAG ratings would be discussed further at the Zero Carbon Coordination Group.

The Zero Carbon Manager further commented that a project was currently underway to review the information that was available to the public on the Council's website so that in addition to the more formal reporting, a narrative would also be provided to describe the progress achieved to date.

The Zero Carbon Manager advised that the learning from the pandemic would be adopted and she made reference to the staff travel policy that was currently being drafted.

Noting the comments regarding the need to engage with private landlords on the issue of carbon emissions, the Zero Carbon Manager described that this was recognised as a significant area and that a programme was underway at a Greater Manchester level to consider the issue of retrofitting across all types of tenure. She stated that in addition to tackling the issue of carbon emissions this work would also contribute to other important issues such as fuel poverty, health and skills and employment.

The Executive Member for Environment informed the Committee that she would be discussing the issue of PRS with the Executive Member for Housing and Employment with the ambition to progressing this important area of work. In regard to the issue of tree planting and the choice of species she advised that this was scheduled to be reported to a future meeting of the Committee, however she would speak with the Member outside of the meeting regarding the specific scheme in her ward.

The Strategic Lead Policy and Partnershipsstated that Northwards Housing would be considering all retrofitting options, including alternative heat sources and solar panels as part of their wider capital investment programme and scheduled improvement works. He further added that resident behavior change and adaption to new technology was important to ensure that maximum benefits from new technology could be realised.

The Strategic Lead Policy and Partnerships commented that he was aware of the Place Based Carbon Calculator that had been developed by the University and consideration would be given as to how this tool could be utilised to help deliver and inform the programme of activities described across the Action Plan.

The Head of Neighbourhoods described that the Climate Change Neighbourhood Officers would assist Neighbourhood Teams to develop individual Climate Change Ward Action Plans, noting that work to quantify and report the outcomes of these plans was to be developed with the local University. She acknowledged the comment from the Member regarding the need to use appropriate language and engagement with different communities adding that this was understood.

In response to the question relating to air travel, the Strategic Lead Policy and Partnerships clarified that these flights had been purchased to facilitate the repatriation of Looked After Children, adding that as these had been purchased by the Local Authority and in the spirit of openness and transparency it was important to report this.

The Strategic Lead Policy and Partnerships further acknowledged the comments regarding young people and schools noting the importance of this, in particular in the context of the Year of the Child.

In regard to the issue of the GMPF the Executive Member for Environment stated that she shared the Committee's frustration and like her predecessor she would continue to lobby them to disinvest from fossil fuels.  Members recommended that the Chair of this Committee should also write to the GMPF to urge then to disinvest immediately and support the city’s ambition to transition to a zero carbon city.

The Chair concluded this item of business by congratulating all involved on the progress to date. She informed the Committee that she would be speaking with the Executive Member for Environment and the Head of Planning to scope the content of the report scheduled for the September meeting on the issue of planning to ensure that the themes and topics raised at this meeting were adequately addressed. She further stated that following the discussion she would be meeting with the other Scrutiny Chairs to ensure the issue of climate change was addressed through the remits of their respective Committees.

Decisions

The Committee recommend;.

1.  That every school on a main arterial route with high traffic have a tree planting plan included as part of the tree strategy to promote clean air;

2. That every council employee and Councillor make a pledge to support climate change; and

3. That all ward climate change plans across the city include a priority action to reduce carbon emissions and promote clean air, including but not restricted to no idling campaigns outside schools, developi.ng walk to school schemes, road closures and the promotion of playing out schemes.

4.  That the Chair write to the GMPF to urge then to disinvest from fossil fuels immediately and support the city’s ambition to transition to a zero carbon city.