Agenda item - Member Involvement

To consider the following matters raised by councillors:

(a)      Petitions: to receive any petitions submitted to the full Council or at the meeting itself;

(b)      Written Questions: to consider any written questions;

(c)      Letters: to consider any letters;

(d)      Notices of Motion: to consider any Notices of Motion referred from Council or submitted directly to the Committee.

(i)            Climate and Biodiversity Emergencies (copy attached)

106(a)   Petitions

106.1    There were none

106(b)  Written Questions

106.2    There were none

106(c)   Letters

106.3    There were none

106 (d) Notices of Motion

106.4    A Notice of Motion on ‘Climate and Biodiversity Emergencies’ was referred to the Policy Resources & Growth Committee from Council held on 13 December 2018.

106.5    The Chair gave the following response:

It is widely recognised that climate change is one of the most urgent and pressing challenges we face today. Cities, including our own, have an important part to play in addressing this challenge through reducing carbon emissions and supporting bio-diversity. 

There are key work streams being delivered across different parts of the city council which together support the city’s resilience to climate change including work in our transport, Planning, Housing and Public Health services.

Our existing planning policies strongly support the need to protect and conserve biodiversity and to seek enhancements, including measures to extend existing and support new or isolated habitats.

There is potential to bring these different areas of work together as part of a sustainability governance framework for the council. Officers will explore this alongside the refresh of the Biosphere Management Strategy, which covers a wider area including Brighton & Hove.  The Biosphere Management Strategy will be refreshed this year for the period 2019-24. Work on this is just starting.

As a result of this Notice of Motion, I will be asking officers for a report to be brought to a future Policy, Resources & Growth Committee setting out the findings of a short review of the Council’s governance policies and their progress in addressing locally these twin threats to biodiversity and global climate change.

The city council is also working with partners through the Greater Brighton Economic Board Infrastructure Panel, which is overseeing the development of new Energy and Water Plans for the city region.  These plans will take steps to ensure the security and resilience of our energy network and water supply to support sustainable economic growth. I have suggested that the Infrastructure Panel consider a target date of 2030 for whole city carbon neutrality.  Achieving a challenging target of this kind will depend upon there being a pipeline of projects which reduce carbon emissions along with the resources and capacity to deliver them. 

To ensure that we are part of the wider efforts of cities to tackle climate change, I have also asked officers to engage with the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance so that we are learning good practice other cities about how they are tacking climate change and reduce carbon emissions.  

106.6    Councillor Sykes said that Full Council agreed to declare our recognition of global climate and biodiversity emergencies, and asked if that had been done. The Chair confirmed that it had.

106.7    RESOLVED: That the Notice of Motion be noted.