Agenda item

Briefing Note of the Director of Business, Investment and Culture

The Committee considered a Briefing Note, together with a comprehensive presentation at the meeting, which detailed the City Council’s Draft Climate Change Strategy 2023-30 (a copy of which was appended to the Briefing Note), together with an outline of the consultation and engagement process.

The Strategy sets out a vision for the City Council to work in partnership with others, addressing sustainability and climate change issues from 2023 until 2030 for the City Council as a whole. In total, there are 147 areas of activity which have been identified, each comprising of one or more activities or projects.

Addressing sustainability & climate change is one of the key objectives of the One Coventry Plan and follows a series of public engagement events for that Plan where public support was expressed for addressing sustainability and climate change issues.

As a founding signatory to the ‘Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy,’ the Strategy will help the City to work towards the delivery of the target of 65% reduction in Greenhouse gas emissions (to 1990 levels) by 2030 with the Government’s 100 % target for achieving Net Zero by 2050 (at 1990 levels) as laid down in the ‘Climate Change Act’ (2008)

It is proposed to carry out a public engagement exercise on the draft Climate Change Strategy with a series of face to face and virtual meetings and events aimed at the public and stakeholder groups from February to April, with a view to bringing a report before Cabinet to adopt a final version before the end of July 2023.

The draft Strategy has adopted the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (I.C.L.E.I) five pathways framework for addressing sustainability & climate change:-

•  Low emissions – reducing carbon emissions

•  Circular economy – reducing waste and responding to opportunities for growth 

•  Nature based – enhancing biodiversity

•  Adaptation & resilience – minimizing the risks and impacts of climate change

•  Equitable person centred – addressing health inequalities & quality of life issues

This approach has also been adopted by the City’s Independent Climate Change Board which has set up Pathway Groups for each of the above.  The Board have assigned overall responsibility for addressing behaviour change to its Equitable Person Centred Pathway Group, where there is the closest connectivity to the communities we serve.

The Strategy will be fundamentally important to the City Council in its leadership role. Raising the knowledge and awareness of potential partner organisations and inspiring them to develop collaborative ventures with the City Council will be vital in addressing the issues to hand and in working with the City Council in changing public attitudes and behaviours towards activities and lifestyles that are respectful of the environment and reducing the impacts of climate change.

A significant portion of the Strategy has a direct impact upon addressing inequalities across the City and targets actions specifically to disadvantaged groups including training, skills, addressing health inequalities, food and fuel poverty, accessibility issues etc. The officers planning the engagement process are also placing a great deal of emphasis on focusing on the engagement of under-represented groups and minorities and ensuring there are systems in place for monitoring their participation and engagement during the engagement period.

The Committee asked questions, sought assurances and made comments on a number of issues, including:-

General Points

•  A request for more information about timescales for proposals for a work-place parking levy and what it might look like in Coventry

•  How would microchips in bins work would work in practice? What information would be collected?

•  What would the “15 Minute City” vision look like and how it would be communicated to residents?

•  There should be better connection of businesses located close to Heatline to prevent heat loss and increase efficiency.

•  There will need to be a more organised strategic approach to installing EV charging points as the number of points required increases. (It was noted that a Briefing Note recently considered by the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) regarding charging points would be circulated to the Committee for information) 

•  Consideration needs to given to a green energy supply for the proposed Gigafactory.

•  Living walls - what opportunities are there on Council buildings?

•  Can we pair with and support developing and emerging economies in other parts of the world?

•  Use biodiversity information from local residents and groups to value their input, for example the Tree Wardens

•  Work needs to be done with education to get the climate change  issues embedded in the schools’ curriculum

•  There has been £3million allocated for the river Sherbourne - what about the river Sowe?

Local Plan Review

•  There should be regulations/requirements to ensure new developments are using heat pumps and solar panels, both residential and businesses.

•  Ensure developers carry out their duty in terms of maintaining trees that are planted as part of planting schemes.

•  What plans are there to increase green spaces in the City?

•  Loss of open space on brownfield sites when they are developed.

•  What is our Strategy for developing on flood plains?

•  Concern that rooftop gardens and living walls are a mitigation alternative to providing green spaces by developers.

Engagement

•  The information provided in the Strategy should be in a clearer format to make it more accessible.

•  The consultation needs to be taken to places where people are – for example the Godiva festival.

•  Communication and consultation process needs to use local radio stations and TV stations.

The Committee also made comments in relation to the role and importance of allotment sites in the City.

The Committee expressed their thanks to the Head of Sustainability and Climate Change for the quality of the presentation received.

RESOLVED:-

1)  That the draft Climate Change Strategy be noted and welcomed

2)  That the points now raised by the Committee be submitted to be considered as part of the engagement and consultation process for the Strategy.

3)  That appropriate officers be requested to undertake a review of allotments across the City in relation to the Climate Change Pathways