Agenda item

(To consider a report from David Hickman – Head of Environment, on Lincolnshire County Council's Green Masterplan, which is being presented to the Executive on 2 February 2021. The views of the Committee will be reported to the Executive as part of its consideration of this item)

Consideration was given to a report from the Head of Environment, on Lincolnshire County Council's Green Masterplan, which would be presented to the Executive on 2 February 2021 for approval. The views of the Committee would be reported to the Executive as part of its consideration of this item. The reports recommendation was that the Draft Green Masterplan be presented to the Executive for approval. The Head of Environment took the Committee through the online version of the Green Masterplan as the final version would be electronic rather than in paper form. He paid tribute to his colleagues in the Sustainability Team who had made a significant and valued contribution in the production of the Plan and driven it forward.

The Council had committed to achieving net carbon neutrality by 2050, in line with current national targets. The Green Masterplan provided a framework for achieving that ambition, as well as co-ordinating action across the County Council and with partner organisations. Without an approved Masterplan the Council was less likely to achieve the target it had set.

In response to the developing national agenda, local authorities had been working through national networks such as ADEPT and Solace to develop common approaches to key elements of the sustainability agenda. Principally these were:-Growing the zero and low carbon economy; Retrofitting homes and buildings; Decarbonising transport; Planning to deliver zero carbon development that protects and enhanced nature; Reducing waste and encouraging sustainable consumption; Restoring nature for all; Developing local authority funding, governance and accounting systems that were fit for purpose.

The Green Masterplan was designed to articulate the Council's own future actions to reduce its emissions, and also to provide a coordinating framework that would engage partners in the Council's approach, while supporting them to achieve their own ambitions. The Plan was integrated within the corporate transformation programme.

Key areas for delivery in the next few years included: 20% further reduction in carbon emissions from LCC's operations by 2023 (from 2018 baseline); Emissions of carbon from street lighting across Lincolnshire reduced by over 1,000 tonnes a year by 2024; Increased on-site generation of low carbon electricity through provision of solar panels on Highways depots and through refurbishment of assets such as Orchard House; Longer term decarbonisation of transport; Further reductions in LCC staff travel costs and mileage; Promotion of tree and habitat provision across Lincolnshire, working with the Local Nature Partnership to deliver the Nature Strategy for Greater Lincolnshire; Supporting partner organisations to achieve their ambitions for sustainable operations; Developing a suite of adaptation measures, such as improved resilience to flood risk and the impacts of climate change; Strengthening the role of sustainability in the Council's decision-making processes during 2021-22.

Members considered the report, and during the discussion the following comments were noted:-

·         The Sustainability team was congratulated on the document, which contained a lot of practical information and was dynamic.

·         While the drive for electric vehicles was supported, one important issue would beselecting the alternative energy source to power large lorries over long distances. Alternative methods of fuel were available, such as bioethanol, but there was a need to modernise technology to run on alternative fuels. A trial had been conducted with Stagecoach buses to run on gas, but the biggest issue identified was refuelling. It was expected that a wide range of solutions and technology would be required for sustainable travel over a broad timeframe.

·         Plastic free communities were being established nationally and also across Lincolnshire, where leaders within a local community were invited to lead and work with local communities and businesses to reduce plastic waste. There was growing public pressure to reduce plastic waste and companies would in future become 100% responsible for their waste which should result in a further reduction in plastic waste.

RESOLVED: That the recommendation to the Executive on the Draft Green Masterplan be supported and the comments from the Committee as outlined above be passed onto the Executive for its consideration.