Agenda item

Report of the Cabinet Member Climate Emergency, Councillor Richard Pineger

The Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency introduced the report, which he said was evidence of the action promised when the climate emergency was declared in 2019. He said climate change is not an abstract concept but real, impacting every aspect of our world; while some forces are beyond our control, others are not and are driven by everyday choices, and it is in the council’s power to choose its actions.  The report is a mirror, showing where we are succeeding and where we can do better. It highlights:

-       Scope 1 emissions (direct emissions from fossil fuels) own 55% from the baseline – a huge achievement;

-       Scope 2 emissions (electricity use at the council) up by 23%, reflecting the deliberate shift away from gas towards electrification;

-       Scope 3 emissions (the supply chain) remain the biggest challenge, but also provide the greatest opportunity to innovate and embed sustainability into every contract and procurement decision.

He said the picture is similar for housing services where, despite some reductions, the sheer scale of emissions from our housing stock shows why investing in programmes like the Warm Homes Fund, heat pumps and insulation matter so much—not just for carbon reduction, but for people’s lives. Warmer homes mean lower bills, better health, and greater comfort for thousands of residents, but this work requires investment, innovation, courage, and sometimes making decisions that feel uncomfortable. However, everything we do strengthens our resilience against spiralling energy costs brings us closer to a safer, healthier future, and reinforces our commitment to achieving Net Zero and to the worldwide movement for climate justice. 

He said the report demonstrates CBC’s accountability and transparency, is the foundation for everything that comes next, and moving forward, we will continue to empower residents to make greener choices. Approval and publication of the reports reaffirms our commitment to working together across parties, communities and Gloucestershire to make Cheltenham a beacon of climate leadership.

Members thanked the Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency for his report, and made the following comments and observations:

Regarding the challenges of collecting Scope 3 emissions data and improvements to reduce emissions,  a Member noted that the 2024 update of the Climate Emergency Action Plan listed improvements to infrastructure for cycling and walking, which will impact commuting and business travel but needs collaboration with the county council.  She wondered what progress there is with the county, not only connecting the Arle Court Business Hub to Bishop’s Cleeve, but also helping Cheltenham residents to get into the town centre from various neighbourhoods?  The Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency said he is keen to see this improved, and it appears that these actions now form part of the Strategic and Local Plan.  He will talk with the team and provide a written response later.

A Member noted that we can only manage what we can measure, and the report is honest about where we are, where we aim to be, where we are falling short, and where we are trying to make things up.  In response to her three questions, the Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency confirmed that:

-       he did not know why emissions from the ground fleet at Gloucestershire Airport have been rolled over and there are no new figures – he will find out and share the information;

-       regarding housing emissions and the fact that the council no longer has access to landlord electricity supplies information for CBH properties, we have changed supplier and lost access to the relevant portal, but will have new supplier portals in future with readings for subsequent years, and the current figures will be carried over as a baseline;

-       on the subject of the existing U-values of properties (the amount of heat being lost from the fabric of the building per metre squared), a full audit of all 4,900 council properties was provided when they were transferred from CBH to CBC – this information should provide the EPC rating of all the properties;

-       regarding the fitting of air source or ground source heat pumps to council properties over the next year,  the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Phases 1 and 2 provided heat pumps to several properties, although at that point householders had the option of refusing and many did.  In Phase 3.1, this becomes a requirement, and all 383 properties will be fitted with heat pumps, as well as insulation.

A Member asked if this is going to be communicated to residents, and if so, when?  The Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency said that Housing Services issue a newsletter to all council tenants, and the communications and climate team regularly put information on websites and in news articles about what is happening.  He said we also have a vacancy for a household engagement officer – the previous post-holder was very impressive, and demonstrated what can be done by professionals applying their specialist knowledge. He hopes a replacement will soon be appointed.

In response to a Member’s question as to whether this information can be included in the annual council tax letter distributed to all residents in the new year, the Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency said this is outside his portfolio, but noted the suggestion and agreed to take it off line with Cabinet colleagues.

A Member welcomed this fascinating and informative report, and the Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency’s illuminating speech. He recalled the original social housing decarbonisation fund, and how difficult it was to get tenants to engage and understand what was being offered. He agreed that tenant engagement is essential, saying this is easier with new-builds; dealing with existing properties and persuading tenants to do the right thing remains a challenge and there is still work to be done here.  A Member suggested that an article could be included in the next edition of Tenants’ Voice and to spread the word to private sector rented properties, and undertook to look into how this can be done.   

In debate, a Member commented that HBO and Ubico have made a huge improvement to Scope 1 emissions, and that CBC is leading way with other districts adopting similar methods.  He thanked Ubico and the teams for making this happen.

RESOLVED THAT: 

-       Council’s commitment to carbon reduction across operations is reaffirmed;

-       the publication of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report 2024-5 is approved.