Agenda item

The Executive Member for Environment and Finance & Governance and the Director of Environment and Community Services submitted a report for the Executive’s consideration. The purpose of the report was to seek approval for the adoption of the Green Strategy, following the public consultation, and the Year One Action Plan.

 

A report was submitted to Executive on 1 September 2020 that outlined the proposed Green Strategy and sought approval, which was granted, to commence with consultation on the adoption of the emerging Green Strategy.

 

The Green Strategy had three main aims:

1.      To make Middlesbrough Council net carbon neutral by 2029.

2.      To ensure Middlesbrough as a town was net carbon neutral by 2039.

3.      To make Middlesbrough a lead authority on environmental issues.

 

The public consultation was launched on 15 November 2020 for a six week period, which had then extended to 31 January 2021 to encourage more responses. The feedback gathered within the consultation was overwhelmingly in favour of adopting a Green Strategy and that Middlesbrough should become a lead authority on green issues. A document outlining feedback gathered during the consultation was included at Appendix 2 of the submitted report.

 

OPTIONS

 

The other potential decision was to not adopt a Green Strategy. That was not recommended as the Council had a moral and legal responsibility to address climate change and reduce the carbon emissions of Middlesbrough and therefore taking no action and not adopting a Green Strategy was not a viable option.

 

ORDERED

 

1.      That the adoption of the Green Strategy, following the public consultation, be approved.

2.      That the Year One Action Plan be approved.

 

REASON

 

The Green Strategy set a programme to meet current Government targets for increasing recycling uptake to 40 percent and reducing Greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, which was a commitment that the UK made by signing the Paris Agreement which was contained within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

 

The adoption of the Green Strategy was recommended as a vehicle to deliver the Council’s obligations to address Climate Change. The implications of climate change were broad ranging and significant and the Council had a responsibility to ensure measures were put in place to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

 

The overwhelming feedback from the Green Strategy public consultation process was that the majority of respondents (82%) agreed that Middlesbrough should be a lead authority on green issues, which the Green Strategy would achieve.

 

A summary of feedback from the Green Strategy consultation was as follows:

·        175 respondents in total.

·        145 (82.8%) respondents agreed with the Mayor’s ambition that Middlesbrough should be a lead authority on green issues.

·        18 (10.2%) of respondents disagreed with the Mayor’s vision, stating a number of reasons. For example, monies would be better being spent elsewhere, such as tackling crime (44%) and building on Green Spaces (20%).

·        On average 162 (92.5%) respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the 10 OPL principles were perceived as important.

·        99 (56.5%) of respondents agreed that the proposed strategy would achieve the Mayor’s ambitions.

·        97 (55.4%) of respondents provided suggestions about what else could be considered to include in the draft strategy. 24% of those respondents suggested that building on Green spaces ceases and 30% suggested other measures, including: electric vehicle charging points, clean air help with solar power, culture, local produce.

·        105 (60%) of respondents indicated that they were interested in finding out how they could help achieve the vision.

·        102 (58.2%) of respondents indicated what they were already doing, or planning to do, to contribute to the town’s carbon neutral proposals.

·        79 (45.1%) of respondents felt that they either didn’t know or felt that they needed more information, support or guidance to contribute towards the town’s carbon neutral proposals.

·        50 additional comments were made by the respondents, when asked ‘Do you have any other comments you wish to make on the draft strategy’.

·        The demographic of all respondents was:

o   145 (83.3%) of respondents - an individual resident of Middlesbrough;

o   12 (6.8%) of respondents - a community group;

o   3 (1.7%) of respondents - a business or agency;

o   14 (8.2%) of respondents - as part of an organisation.