Issue - meetings

To receive and consider the report of the Director of Planning and Development.

1.    To approve the draft Climate Change Strategy for public consultation.

2.    To delegate approval to the Executive Member to adopt the strategy after the consultation subject to there being no material changes to the strategy.

3.    To note that this is an ambitious programme of activity and is likely to require further investment/resourcing which will be overseen by the Climate Change Working Group and the Executive Member (Resources).

Councillor Peter Wilson, Executive Member (Resources) presented the report of the Director of Planning and Development which seeks approval to undertake a process of consultation on the draft Climate Change Strategy.

The Draft Climate Change Strategy sets out the Council’s vision, strategic aims, priorities, and action plan for climate change for the period 2022-24. It is intentionally a non-technical document which aims to set out in an accessible format what we want to deliver for Chorley and how we will go about it.

It is anticipated that a public consultation will run for 8 weeks from early February 2022 to the end of March 2022, before taking to the Executive Member (Resources) for approval to adopt.

Members welcomed the report and draft strategy and recognised the importance of partnership working to enable the delivery of the council’s climate change vision, aims and action plan.

Decision:

1.    To approve the draft Climate Change Strategy for public consultation.

2.    To delegate approval to the Executive Member to adopt the strategy after the consultation subject to there being no material changes to the strategy.

3.    To note that this is an ambitious programme of activity and is likely to require further investment/resourcing which will be overseen by the Climate Change Working Group and the Executive Member (Resources).

Reasons for recommendations:

Climate Change is a priority for the Council, and we must prepare and adopt a Climate Change Strategy to demonstrate the steps we are taking to move towards zero carbon and deliver our programme of activity. Without a strategy in place, the Council will not be able to deliver on the declaration made in 2019 to be net zero by 2030.

Other options considered and rejected:

To not have a strategy. This was rejected as the evidence for change is compelling and as a Council, we must demonstrate a commitment to making a difference with a programme of activity to deliver tangible outcomes including benefits for nature and reduction in carbon emissions.