This report outlines the Council’s progress to date in tackling climate change, work in progress and sets outs the proposed approach to responding to the climate emergency declaration made by the Council on the 26^th February 2019.

The Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report which outlined the Council’s progress to date in tackling climate change, work in progress and set out the proposed approach to responding to the climate emergency declaration made by the Council on 26 February 2019 (Minute 48 refers).

The following documents were appended to the report:

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, and the ACE Committee’s key work areas would include overseeing actions flowing from the relevant ‘theme action plans’ of the Reading Climate Change Strategy and those relating to the cross-cutting themes of education, communities and adaptation.

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 the scale of the ongoing challenge be noted;

(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 and the change to the Terms of Reference to include “Climate Change Strategy - To contribute to and adopt the relevant parts of the Climate Change action plan” be noted;

(3)      That the Council work with and through the long-established Reading Climate Change Partnership and Reading UK to align respective strategies to ensure the active participation of residents, business and other organisations across Reading;

(4)      That the Chief Executive be asked to 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, plus the impact of the decisions they would be taking on the Council’s ability to respond to the Climate Emergency and achieving a carbon neutral Reading by 2030.