Agenda item

Report ES19094

The report set out a strategic plan for achieving the Council’s 2029 Net Zero Carbon target, outlining the scope of the target, different funding options, and governance and reporting processes. The plan showed that the target was achievable through a variety of measures, but would require financial support and continued resource commitment as the plan evolved over the next ten years.

The Carbon Programme Manager reported that the Carbon Reduction Action Plan was likely to be available by the autumn.  Members also noted that Bromley was one of the few Councils committed to measuring procurement omissions.

In terms of the way in which the Council could measure the reduction in the carbon footprint of its contractors, the Carbon Programme Manager explained that the larger suppliers had their own mechanisms in place for monitoring reducing emissions and this information could be made available to the Council to facilitate monitoring of carbon reduction.

A Member noted that there had been some instances of new trees that had been planted being damaged and the Member questioned what could be done to protect any new trees and woodlands that were planted.  In response, the Head of Performance Management and Business Support explained that once the trees had been planted, contracts would be put in place to ensure that the new trees and woodlands were protected and maintained.

In relation to encouraging carbon reduction through the Council’s procurement processes, the Head of Performance Management and Business Support reported that in May 2020, a procurement training event would be held and a member of the Carbon Reduction Team would be participating in the event to highlight the issues of using procurement processes to encourage carbon reduction.  The Committee discussed the need to ensure that Carbon reduction was a standard heading on any Council Committee reports.  Emissions falling under Scope 1 and Scope 2 of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol could be addressed under the current ‘Financial Implications’ heading on reports with emissions falling under Scope 3 of the GHG Protocol addressed under the ‘Procurement Implications’ heading in committee reports. 

Members considered whether more could be done by the Council to offer support and guidance to small and medium enterprises (SME) to become carbon neutral.  The Committee noted that as carbon emissions were addressed through procurement processes, guidance for SMEs would be produced, however there was an expectation that the Council’s larger providers worked to reduce their carbon emissions at an earlier stage.

RESOLVED that

(1) The proposed strategy to reduce the Council’s organisational emissions to net zero by 2029 be supported.

(2) The Portfolio Holder be recommended to approve the strategy and that the Carbon Management Programme (CMP3) is developed in detail to deliver it.

(3) The Portfolio Holder be recommended to support a review by the Carbon Management Team of Bromley’s borough-wide emissions and the identification of further opportunities to influence their reduction.

(4) The Portfolio Holder takes forward an amendment to the committee report template so that a Carbon Implications section is incorporated that requires officers to consider the carbon impact of the proposal or decision they are presenting to Council committees - scope 1 and 2 emissions under the financial implications and scope 3 emissions under procurement implications.