Further to Minute 48 of the meeting of full Council on 26 February 2019, the Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report outlining the Council’s progress to date in tackling climate change, work in progress and setting out the proposed approach to responding to the climate emergency declaration made by the Council on 26 February 2019.  The following documents were attached to the report:

·         Appendix 1 - Modelling a Zero Carbon Pathway

·         Appendix 2 - Existing Projects

·         Appendix 3 - Item 11 Full Council – 26th February - Council Climate Emergency Declaration

·         Appendix 4 - ‘Reading Climate Change Strategy 2013-20 Action Plans

The report summarised work in progress including the development of the new Reading Climate Change Strategy, which would be launched in April 2020, and the new Local Plan which set requirements for zero carbon planning on all large residential developments and BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standard on large commercial developments.  It also summarised a Climate Emergency Action Framework which set out the major actions that would be needed to make significant progress towards a carbon neutral Reading by 2030.

The report explained that an internal Corporate Task Group would be established to oversee the coordination of the Climate Emergency Framework, ensuring its principles and objectives were embedded as part of day-to-day business and that key projects were taken forward across the Council.  All the standing Committees would report on the relevant elements of Reading’s Climate Change Strategy and the Climate Emergency Action Framework.  The role of the Policy Committee would be to take an overview of the success of the Corporate Plan in delivering the climate change objectives, as well as matters relating to energy, budget and the Council’s own operations and to the Council’s constitution and governance arrangements.  Work with businesses on the low carbon economy through the Local Enterprise Partnership, Reading UK and Reading 2050 would also feed into Policy Committee.

Resolved –

(1)     That the progress made to date by the Council’s proactive approach to addressing climate change issues and impacts in Reading be welcomed, while noting the scale of the ongoing challenge;

(2)     That the climate emergency declaration be embedded across all Council services, activities, plans and other relevant work to ensure a fully integrated and systematic approach to the Council’s own response to this challenge;

(3)     That it be agreed that while the Council would lead by example the scale of the climate emergency challenge required action across all of Reading’s communities, and that to this end the Council work with and through the long-established Reading Climate Change Partnership and Reading UK to align respective strategies towards ensuring they secured the active participation of residents, businesses and other organisations across the borough;

(4)     That the Chief Executive write to the Government and local MPs setting out the urgent need to equip local authorities with the policy framework, powers and funding necessary to deliver this critical agenda;

(5)     That all future Committee reports include a section on environmental implications and necessary mitigations and all reports to the committees consider the impact of the decisions being taken on the council’s ability to respond to the Climate Emergency and achieving a carbon neutral Reading by 2030.