Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Director of Development and Regeneration.

The report outlines progress made at Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council in implementing the Climate Action Now (CAN) programme over the last financial year 2022-23.

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to:

·         Note and comment on the progress achieved since the CAN annual report issued in July 2022.

·         Endorse the approval for the publication of a modified version of the report on the council’s website and case studies as outlined in the appendix. (Provisional approval for transparency of the council’s GHG emission report was agreed at the Communities & Housing Committee in January 2023).

·         Note and comment on the need for an acceleration in action to meet the challenge of remaining within the borough’s carbon budget set by the GM wide 2038 carbon neutrality target.

Officer contact: Nick Leslie | nick.leslie@stockport.gov.uk 

A representative of the Director of Place Management submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining the progress made by the council to implement the CAN programme over the last financial year 2022-23.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:

·         Great work had been going on across Stockport in response to climate action, but there was more work to be done. Members were encouraged to bring forward ideas that could help the council to achieve its CAN goals.

·         A Local Nature Recovery Group was due to be established and would include two members from each party. It was hoped that the first meeting of the group would take place in July and where the scope of the group’s work could be agreed. It was also hoped that members on the group would have carbon literacy training and therefore a high level of knowledge in relation to climate change.

·         The ‘turn it off’ campaign had been relaunched to encourage people to turn off their cars when doing school pick-ups and drop-offs.

·         It was heard that the Town Centre Renewable Energy District Heating Network could be a game-changer in helping Stockport to reach the borough’s carbon reduction target. The proposal was in its early stages, but was incredibly exciting.

·         The council had been awarded £35,000 from government to take part in a pilot scheme which would explore the creation of ‘zones’ mandating new developments and existing large consumers of heating energy and producers of significant excess heat energy to join district heating networks.

RESOLVED – (1) That the progress achieved since the CAN annual report issued in July 2022 be noted.

(2) That the publication of a modified version of the report on the council’s website and case studies be endorsed for approval.

(3) That the need for acceleration in action to meet the challenge of remaining within the borough’s carbon budget set by the GM wide 2038 carbon neutrality target be noted.