Issue - meetings

To consider a report by Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for the Environment and Transport (copy enclosed) presenting the Council’s Climate and Nature Strategy (2021/22 – 2029/30) for consideration and recommending its adoption to Council.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)      recommends that Council adopt the Climate and Nature Strategy (2021/22 – 2029/30) as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, and

(b)      confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Wellbeing Impact Assessment as part of its consideration as set out in Appendix 2 to the report.

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for the Environment and Transport presented the Council’s Climate and Nature Strategy (2021/22 – 2029/30) (previously known as the Climate and Ecological Change Strategy) for consideration.

The Council declared a Climate Change and Ecological Emergency in 2019 and adopted a draft Strategy in 2021 which was required to be reviewed every three years.  The revised Strategy had been presented together with details of the review and engagement process, results of the public consultation on the draft document and proposed amendments made to the Strategy as a consequence.

Councillor Mellor reported on good progress made since adoption of the Strategy but given the financial challenges facing councils the pace of change was not currently at a level to meet 2030 targets.  It would not be easy to meet those goals in the revised Strategy, but the Council retained that ambition and commitment to do as much as it could as fast as it could within the resources available to tackle climate change and deliver nature recovery for future generations.

The Corporate Director: Governance and Business gave an overview of the review and engagement process and thanked those involved for their contributions.  He drew attention to areas of note in the revised Strategy which included three new sections relating to reducing emissions and increasing absorption, increasing resilience, and nature recovery together with the introduction of a finance section, technical appendix and process/policy changes and actions/project updates. 

Cabinet welcomed the Strategy and were supportive of its content and ambitions to deliver for future generations despite the difficulties.  Reference was made to the important role of the Council as a community leader and whether more could be done at a community level in terms of raising awareness and better campaign the urgency of that agenda.  The Head of Corporate Support Service: Performance, Digital and Assets advised that the Strategy was a central pillar alongside the Corporate Plan in terms of influencing and working with partners and agreed that people needed to be mobilised with specific actions in the Strategy on communication and behaviour change, and there was also a dedicated resource for that specific purpose going forward.

Councillor Rhys Thomas raised a number of technical questions with the Head of Service to be discussed further outside of the meeting.  He sought assurances that in tandem with tackling carbon reduction the Council was also working towards operating in an ecologically positive way, to increase the number of scare species and bring new wildlife back to Denbighshire.  The Head of Service confirmed there was greater parity in the new Strategy between carbon/climate action and nature recovery and reported on work being carried out on the nature recovery agenda.  Previous training had been provided on carbon literacy and future training was planned on eco literacy which would equip members with knowledge in both areas.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)      recommends that Council adopt the Climate and Nature Strategy (2021/22 – 2029/30) as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, and

(b)      confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Wellbeing Impact Assessment as part of its consideration as set out in Appendix 2 to the report.