Agenda item

To consider the attached report of the Sustainable Development Unit providing Members with an opportunity to comment on the ‘Leeds Climate Change Strategy: Vision for Action’ prior to submission to Executive Board and Full Council for approval.

The Sustainable Development Unit submitted a report providing Members with an opportunity to comment on the draft ‘Leeds Climate Change Strategy: Vision for Action’ prior to its submission to the Executive Board and full Council for approval.

The Chair welcomed to the meeting to present the report and respond to queries and comments from the Board, George Munson, Climate Change Officer and Tom Knowland, Head of Sustainable Development, both Sustainable Development Unit, City Development.

The Climate Change Officer presented the report and advised Members that:

·  The strategy had taken two years to develop and was Leeds’ response to signing the Nottingham Declaration in June 2006.

·  The strategy had been released for consultation in February 2008 and the draft attached to the report took into consideration the consultation responses received.  The draft also took into account the current state of the economy and resources available from the Council and from external sources.

·  The intention was that the strategy would be presented to the Executive Board in March and then Full Council in April 2009.  It was planned that the final strategy document would be published in May 2009.

In brief summary, the following issues were raised and comments made by Members concerning the draft strategy:

·  That the strategy be more specific with regard to listing financial incentives to install home energy efficiency measures.

·  That the phrase ‘we need to shift the emphasis to larger, more affluent households’ be reworded to make it clearer that social housing was not being ignored but that it was with the larger more affluent households where the potential for greater carbon savings could be made.

·  The true cost to the city of not creating a low carbon economy – Members were advised that the Council was working with the University of Leeds to ascertain the costs of action verses inaction and the results would be available within the next two years.

·  Independent measuring of Leeds’ ecological footprint – Members were advised that the organisation Forum for the Future was a national charity that published an independent index of all large cities and towns in the UK.

·  Publicity, education and public relations – Members were advised that an Environmental Communications Officer was to be recruited shortly.

·  Plans Panels – Officers advised that advice on ecological impact was given on planning applications, however the climate change strategy would not have an effect on an individual planning application basis as planning law did not allow it.

·  Briefings– Officers advised that briefings would be provided on climate change.

·  Whether a climate change strategy was worth having – Members were advised that Leeds was competing against other cities.  It needed to attract investment and therefore needed to be resilient to climate change and prepare for a low carbon economy.  Having a strategy was therefore necessary to give a clear indication to partners that Leeds was committed to dealing with this issue.

·  Whether the resources were available to make any difference – Officers advised that it was necessary for Leeds to have this strategy to show its partners that Leeds was serious about the effects of climate change.  This strategy represented the Local Authority’s first step forward.  It would be reviewed in 2011 and it was hoped that by then Leeds would be in a better position to make firmer commitments.

·  The wider picture of long-term energy security – Officers acknowledged the importance of having locally sourced energy supplies to reduce the reliance on imported energy.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the report be noted.

(b)  That the Board’s comments, resulting from the above discussions, be forwarded to the Executive Board by 13^th February 2009 when the Leeds Climate Change Strategy was being submitted for approval.

(Note: Councillor Harington joined the meeting at 10.15am during the consideration of this item.)