Issue - meetings

Members had been provided with a report in advance of the meeting, to outline the ways in which environmental sustainability was embedded in Council activities, policies and strategies with a specific focus on climate change considerations.  Caroline Toplis, Programme Manager, Climate Change attended the meeting and gave a presentation to compliment the report, with focus on those measures and activities that were relevant across the whole Council.  She explained that the information provided was not exhaustive, with further examples available at Departmental and Service levels.

She explained the measures that were in place to embed environmental sustainability in Council activities, policies, and strategies. This would help ensure the Council continued to recognise the impact it had on the environment and society through the delivery of its operations and continued commitment to protecting the environment by minimising any adverse environmental impact, while creating opportunities for enhancing positive environmental effects to improve the quality of life for people.

Members made a number of comments/observations and asked questions around the Strategy and Action Plan, which were duly noted or answered by the officers present.  Members welcomed the Strategy and particular reference was made to the excellent recent Carbon Literacy training that had been attended by some members of the Committee and who encouraged others to attend.  Members indicated that they would like to receive a copy of the Single Use Plastics Action Plan when it became available.

The Chairman thanked the officer for her update.

RESOLVED to (1)note the ways in which environmental sustainability was embedded in Council activities, policies, and strategies, with a specific focus on climate change considerations, as detailed in this report; and

(2) acknowledge that the information provided within the report was not exhaustive, with further examples available at a Departmental and Service level.