A report presenting the Annual Reports for 2022/23 on two key elements of Reading’s response to the climate emergency:

(i)             The 2022/23 Annual Report on the Reading Climate Emergency Strategy 2020-25

(ii)            The 2022/23 Annual Report on the Council’s Corporate Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The Committee received a report presenting two Annual Reports for 2022/23 on key elements of Reading’s response to the climate emergency.

The 2022/23 Annual Report on the Reading Climate Emergency Strategy 2020-25 was attached to the report at Appendix 1. The Annual Report had been prepared by the Reading Climate Change Partnership and reflected the activity of a range of partners across Reading, not just the Council. The headline messages from the report were that, in common with the rest of the UK, emissions for 2021 (the latest year for which data had been available) had risen in comparison to 2020. The was because emissions had re-bounded following the lifting of pandemic restrictions. The long-term trend remained positive, however, with Borough emissions having fallen by 51% since 2005. This was down from the 55% reduction reported in 2020, but Reading had still seen the 8^th largest reduction in emissions out of 374 UK local authority areas. Reading’s per capita emissions also remained the lowest in Berkshire. The pace of emissions reduction would, however, need to increase significantly to get back on track to achieve the Strategy target of ‘net zero by 2030’. A summary of the key conclusions drawn from the Annual Report 2022/23 on the Reading Climate Emergency Strategy were set out in the report.

A copy of the 2022/23 Annual Report on the Council’s Corporate Greenhouse Gas Emissions was attached to the report at Appendix 2. The Annual Report, which was produced annually by the Council, tracked the progress made towards the implementation of the Council’s Carbon Plan and the targets contained within it. The headline message from the report was that the Council’s carbon footprint had been cut by 73.9% since 2008/09, a further reduction from the 71.3% figure that had been reported in 2021/22. This meant the Council remained broadly on track to meet its interim target of an 85% cut in emissions by 2025. However, further action and investment would be needed to achieve this target, and to make progress towards the ultimate target of becoming a net zero organisation by 2030. A summary of the key conclusions of the Council’s Annual Greenhouse Gas Emissions report for 2022/23 were summarised in the report.

The Head of Climate Strategy provided the Committee with an update and explained that, since the publication of the report, the Council had received the results of the annual assessment that had been carried out by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), an international non-government organisation that operated a reporting process for corporations and councils which was regarded as the ‘gold-standard’ for climate reporting. The Council had first submitted its data to the CDP in 2021 and had been added to the A-List of Councils that demonstrated good practice. The Head of Climate Strategy reported that, following this year’s assessment, the Council had retained its position on the CDP’s A-List.

The Head of Climate Strategy also informed the Committee of a correction to the figures contained in the Council’s Corporate Greenhouse Gas Emissions report (Appendix 2). It had been noticed that figures relating to theemissions reported from leisure facilities were higher than expected. Following an investigation, it had been discovered that there had been an issue with the meter exchange at Meadway Leisure Centre which had resulted in an overestimate of the gas consumption for the site. The actual consumption figures had since been obtained and were significantly lower than the estimated consumption. Consequently the Annual Report attached at Appendix 2 significantly overstated the emissions from the Council’s leisure estate. The Head of Climate Strategy advised that the thrust of the report otherwise remained accurate and that the Council had improved its leisure offer at the same time as reducing emissions. However, the reduction in overall leisure emissions compared to the last pre-covid year (the most meaningful year for comparison) was in fact 31% and the not the 20% reported. The Head of Climate Strategy advised that the corrected figures would be reflected in the final version when it was published on the Council’s website.

Resolved –

(1)           That the progress in reducing Reading Borough’s carbon emissions, which have fallen by 51% since 2005, be noted;

(2)           That the progress in reducing Reading Borough Council’s corporate emissions, which have fallen by 74% since 2008/09, be noted;

(3)           That it be noted that, while progress was being made, the Council and other partners needed to increase the pace of emissions reduction to meet the targets for a net zero Reading, and a net zero Council, by 2030;

(4)           That the corrections to be made to the leisure estate emissions figures in Appendix 2 to the report be noted.