Agenda item

To present the report of the Climate Change Manager.

The report of the Climate Change Manager incorporating the Towards Net Zero Strategic Plan for the period 2026 to 2031 was presented for the committee’s consideration.

Councillor Ieuan Williams, Portfolio Member for Highways, Waste and Climate Change presented the report noting that the Plan builds on the progress and lessons learned from the previous Towards Net Zero Strategic Plan 2022-2025 as outlined in the End Point Report. The new plan sets out how the Council will continue its journey towards becoming a net zero organisation by reducing carbon emissions, increasing carbon absorption and strengthening organisational resilience to a changing climate. The plan identifies six key  priority areas covering assets and housing emissions, Council transport emissions, supply chain emissions, land use, nature recovery and biodiversity, organisational development, and strategic projects and climate resilience. An annual implementation plan will be developed and reviewed quarterly by the Net Zero Steering Group which will report to the Leadership Team as required. An annual progress report will also be produced and key actions under the Council Plan’s climate change strategic objective will be reported to the Improvement and Modernisation Programme Board.

Councillor Ieuan Williams highlighted that the Strategic Plan recognises that the Council’s target of becoming a net zero organisation by 2030 is not achievable within current resources, the time available or the scale of the decarbonisation required. The Strategic Plan therefore proposes aligning with the net zero carbon Wales by 2050 target set by the Environment (Wales) Act 2016.

In scrutinising the Towards Net Zero Strategic Plan 2026 to 2031, the committee raised the following issues –

·      The value of installing air source heat pumps in older buildings. Members asked whether the Council has evidence demonstrating value for money.

·      The arrangements for disposing of or recycling solar panels at the end of their operational life. Members questioned whether the Council should develop a formal disposal strategy rather than relying on an ad-hoc approach.

·      The increase in the Council’s transport and supply chain emissions as shown in Appendix 2 of the strategic plan. Members sought clarification on the reasons for the increase and how the data should be interpreted given the reporting methodology has changed.

·      The prominence given to education within the strategic plan, with Members suggesting that education should feature more strongly.

·      The upgrading of Council housing stock. While noting that 93 council houses have been upgraded, Members queried how the Council intends to address the significant task of upgrading the remainder of its housing stock and how it might affect tenants.

·      Battery recycling arrangements. Members noted the removal of battery collection from the recycling service and the availability of small battery recycling points elsewhere but raised concerns about the lack of provision for recycling large batteries and the potential risk of fly-tipping.

·      The need  for further investment in emissions data collection systems as identified in the Towards Net Zero Strategic Plan 2022-2025 End Point Report. Members sought clarification on the cost implications, the type of data to be collected and how it would be used to support accurate reporting and informed decision making.

·      The Council’s operating model for installing public electric vehicle charging stations.

The Portfolio Member for Highways, Waste and Climate Change and Officers addressed the matters raised as follows –

·      Air source heat pumps are recent installations, so there is currently insufficient data to assess value for money. A more reliable assessment should be possible in a year’s time.

·      That strategy for disposing end of life solar panels will be examined. This is a global challenge as the adoption of green energy technologies increases. The Head of Housing Service noted that some Council properties have solar panels approaching twenty years old. Although a few individual panels have been replaced due to wind damage, the available data shows no decline in performance or electricity generation. The twenty year point is more a reflection of return on investment assumptions than the panels’ operational lifespan.

·      The database used to calculate transport emissions has been developed and refined over the past five years as has data collection processes. As a result, the most recent figures are the most accurate. Supply chain emissions are calculated based on the Council’s annual spending and the types of goods and services procured. Increased spending in 2024/25 has therefore resulted in higher reported emissions.

·      Education is addressed under the Organisational Development priority of the strategy  which focuses on developing climate change awareness, skills and knowledge across the Council through investment in  training, leadership and capacity for behaviour change. The Portfolio Member for Highways, Waste and Climate Change agreed to review the   wording to make the educational element clearer.

·      Standards and expectations for decarbonising the Council’s housing stock are separate from the Wales Housing Quality Standards 2023 which the Council is committed to meeting. Achieving decarbonisation in full will require a dedicated budget including   reviewing Welsh Government set rent levels and the HRA’s borrowing capacity. In addition, sector wide capacity to deliver the changes is essential. The Head of Housing Services clarified that most retrofitting work is external meaning tenants should be able to remain in their homes while improvements are carried out.

·      The issue of battery recycling will be discussed with the Waste Management Service to determine see whether the policy should be reconsidered or whether, following the current public consultation, it should clearly state that the Council does not recycle batteries but can direct residents to organisations that do.

·      Numerous data sources feed into an evolving dashboard, including information on energy, heat, and electricity use, supply chains and transport. As data collection improves, it will better identify priority areas for decarbonisation and support evidence based decision making. Continuous improvement of data collection processes is regarded as a journey and is a key objective.

·      Some public electric vehicle charging stations were installed several years ago, with the Council responsible for them and retaining any profit. The Council is now tendering for external companies to invest in new charging stations aiming not only to generate revenue but also to encourage greater uptake of electric vehicles. The expectation is that more private companies will enter the market as electric vehicle use grows.

Following discussion, and having regard to the matters raised and responses provided, it was resolved to recommend the Towards Net Zero Strategic Plan 2026-2031 to the Executive for approval.