Proposed by Councillor Gill Gardiner

Seconded by Councillor Simon Holbrook

(1) Council notes:

(a) The excellent work already being carried out to reduce carbon emissions by the council and across the borough through the launch of the CRed scheme and its aim to achieve a 60% reduction in C02 emissions by 2025.

(b) The sign-up and commitment of the council to the national 10:10 initiative, which encourages individuals and organisations to save 10% during 2010.

(c) That the Carbon Reduction Commitment, a mandatory emissions trading scheme affecting large local authorities with an annual electricity bill of more than £500,000 will come into force from April 2010.

(d) The launch in September 2009 of the Scottish Government’s carbon budget, linking greenhouse gas emissions with the environmental impact of total government spending.

(e) The publication by DECC in July 2009 of the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan, setting out how the UK will meet the 34% cut in emissions on 1990 levels by 2020, set out in The Budget.

(f) The publication by CLG in July 2009 of the Strengthening Local Democracy Consultation, which suggests that local authorities could have a much greater role to play in tackling climate change through local carbon budgets.

(2) Council believes that:

(a) Setting an annual carbon budget for each department and building a clearer picture of the environmental impact of Council spending will help to meet the local and national carbon reduction targets that have been set out above.

(b) Strong leadership is needed to ensure that financial and carbon budgeting is fully integrated into mainstream financial management and business planning activity.

(c) There are financial savings to be made through procurement of energy efficient and low carbon contracts, goods and services.

Therefore, Council resolves:

(1) To instruct the Director of Technical Services and the Sustainability Unit to

establish the Council’s carbon footprint and quantify the number of tonnes of CO2 released as a direct result of Council operations for 2010 onwards, and to instruct the Director of Finance to bring forward proposals for quantifying CO2 emissions as part of the procurement process for new council contracts and other spend from April 2011.

(2) To instruct the Director of Technical Services and the Sustainability Unit to work with the Director of Finance (in conjunction with other Chief Officers) to prepare carbon budgets detailing carbon emissions and carbon efficiency targets for each department to be presented at Budget Cabinet and Council alongside the Council’s financial budget.

 (3) To instruct the Director of Technical Services to report to Cabinet on progress made regarding the carbon budget. This report to include measures and projects to reduce carbon emissions, including an analysis to show progress being made by department and key service areas

AMENDMENT

Proposed by Councillor Leah Fraser

Seconded by Councillor Ian Lewis

Add after (1)(f)

(g) That 15,000 people have travelled to Copenhagen, to the CO2 Climate Change Summit (COP15), emitting 41,000 tonnes of CO2.

And after (2)(c)

(d) Council therefore requests that the Director of Finance reports the likely costs of introducing Carbon Budgeting, including staff time.

The amendment was put to the vote and lost (22:38)

The motion was put to the vote and carried unanimously.

Resolved (unanimously) – That the motion be approved.