Agenda item

Report of the Director of Regeneration and Economy

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Regeneration and Economy, that had been considered by Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee at their meeting on 31^st October 2024 and would also be considered by Council at their meeting on 3^rd December 2024, on the Council’s Climate Change Strategy for 2024 – 2030. Appendices to the report provide the Climate Change Strategy 2024 to 2030 and the Climate Change Action Plan.

The Coventry Climate Change Strategy 2024-2030 set out how the Council planned to tackle the causes and consequences of climate change, which was central to delivery of the One Coventry Plan, and the challenges and opportunities to creating a more sustainable city through five key pathways (or themes):

·  Adaptation and resilience – how we adapt to weather changes caused by climate change and create more resilience in our infrastructure, services and systems. 

·  Route to net zero – how we decarbonise our city including buildings, transport and industry and create a green economy

·  A circular economy – how we use resources more efficiently

·  Fairer green future – how we tackle inequalities and deliver a just transition

·  Nature – how we address the ecological emergency, reverse the decline in nature and create a greener city

Due to unprecedented challenges with the climate and natural environment, climate change was no longer something happening in the future, impacts are being seen now - in Coventry there were over 10,500 properties at risk of flooding and rising. Rising energy costs and energy inefficient homes meant that over 22% of households were in fuel poverty, and the rising cost of living meant 20% of the city was in food poverty. There was a global nature emergency, with the UK one of the world’s most nature depleted countries. In Coventry over 20% of households lived more than 300 metres from green space.

Moving towards a green economy, and the need to ensure that local people and businesses were equipped with the right skills to access jobs and opportunities, tackling climate change could help to address these issues. It presented a huge opportunity to create positive change that could improve the quality of life, health and well-being of residents and a create a more prosperous and vibrant future city. 

The Strategy went well beyond the Council, it was citywide. It had been developed with expert input from the city’s independent Climate Change Board and pathway groups which was made up of over 25 public, private and third sector organisations from across Coventry. The Strategy also considered feedback to public consultation undertaken last year and was guided by Coventry’s Net Zero Carbon Routemap which was produced to help better understand the city’s biggest sources of emissions and where it needed to prioritise action.

There was already a tremendous amount of activity happening across the city to tackle climate change which included:

• The creation of a UK-first Strategic Energy Partnership with E.ON to help decarbonise the city developing a 15 year programme which supported net zero ambitions.

• The development of Greenpower Park. With West Midlands Gigafactory as its anchor tenant, it would foster world-leading collaborations between industry, major academic institutions and stakeholders to drive the UK's ambitions in leading the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.

• The pioneering of Coventry Very Light Rail, a net zero affordable battery powered tram system which would help to reduce carbon emissions and provide a comfortable hassle-free means of travel as an alternative to the car.

• Coventry would be the UK’s first Electric Bus City by 2025 and has the largest number of electric car charging points outside of London, in the UK.

• The launch of a state-of-the-art Materials Recycling Facility ‘Sherbourne Resource Park’, the first of its kind in the UK, to support a growing circular economy.

• Working with the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, Severn Trent and the Environment Agency in opening up the river Sherbourne, providing benefits to nature and local communities.

Whilst good progress had been made, it needed to go much further. The Strategy provided a foundation for how the Authority would work with partners, businesses, organisations and communities to address climate change. It recognised that the Council had a role as leader and enabler but recognised that it could not do this alone and citywide action was needed. The accompanying Climate Change Action Plan set out the key actions that Council aimed to deliver, in partnership to help meet the significant challenges and opportunities. It was noted that whilst approval was sought for the Strategy and Action Plan, individual projects would be subject to further governance and approvals in line with the Constitution.

The work of the Climate Change Board and delivery of the Strategy was underpinned by a commitment to ensure a ‘just transition’. The impacts of climate change and measures taken to address it could often affect the most vulnerable communities, the Council must ensure that it used this opportunity to prioritise action to reduce inequalities in the city and improve the quality of life for all.

Cabinet considered a briefing note detailing Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee’s consideration of the report (their Minute 41/24 referred), which had been circulated, setting out the areas of discussion at their meeting and their recommendation for Cabinet’s consideration. The Committee recommended that Cabinet agree the recommendation in the report.

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

1)  Approves the recommendation from Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee following their consideration of the report at their meeting on 31^st October 2024.

2)  Recommends that Council approves the Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan.

3)  Recommends that Council delegates authority to the Director for Regeneration and Economic Development and the Director of Finance and Resources, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, to make variations from time to time to the Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan.