Agenda item

The Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan is enclosed.

The following further papers giving additional detail can be found on the cabinet agenda link,  under item 8,

https://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=302&MId=7014&Ver=4

·  Report: Climate Change Strategy

·  Appendix B: Techncial appendix

·  Appendix C: Consultation and engagement summary

·  Appendix D: Equality impact assessment

Councillor Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for the Climate Emergency and Sustainable Development, presented and then took questions, with assistance from Chris Page, Climate Emergency Director.

Members raised the following issues:

·  The cabinet lead agreed with members that assistance for private landlords to retrofit existing housing is an area that warrants more active exploration. There is a potential tool for the council to influence this through the Licensing scheme for rented property. Another opportunity is promotion and support for landlords’ to make use of government green grants when they come online. 

·  It was clarified that the £101 million pounds referenced in the Climate Emergency Strategy refers to money already spent on capital projects, such as parks and active travel, to address the climate emergency to date. There is an additional £25 million committed, but as yet unallocated, to be spent on capital works, to address the Climate Emergency.

·  The Greens Homes Grant is being used in a Southwark Tower block to retrofit and improve insulation, including double glazing. A Green Home Grant has also been successfully awarded for council street properties to do insulation. The Green Home Grant scheme has now closed but the council will be looking at further information and support if new programmes come online.

·  The Climate Change Director was asked about the three biggest actions planned to tackle the Climate Emergency and responded that because everything is interlinked it is a challenge to separate out individual actions, however there is a big focus on less driving and getting gas out of people’s homes. The method for removing gas boilers include bringing forward heat networks, with three pilot water sourced heat pumps networks in the pipeline, and linking more households to South East London Combined Heat and Power (SELCHP).The strategy sets out a commitment to reduce energy and encourages linking to renewable energy, as set out in the Greener Building  theme and Renewable theme.

·  Work on adaptation is to follow, with a planned strategy that will include flood defences. The plan is to eventually will bring the work on the Climate Emergency and Adaptation together, however the council’s priority was tackling the Climate Emergency.

·  The Cabinet lead said that the New Southwark Plan (NSP) amendments that are quite considerable. However the NSP will go further with an Energy policy, which is most significant. There is also a programme of work to include embodied carbon.

·  Some commission members commented that the strategy was wordy,  with a lot of ‘exploring’ and ‘highlights’, while other members praised the themes , clarity on where responsibility for emissions lies and the short, medium and long term goals. The rolling Action Plan was commended. The cabinet member was asked if there would be an increase in SMART targets, deadlines and a communication plan. 

·  The cabinet lead she had tasked officers with communicating the plan. The Climate Change Director added that there is an education strand, commenting that people tend to be interested and care about the environment but there are other demands on people’s time and energy, so education can be about providing accessible tools. He said the council have found it easier to engage with some sections of the population rather than others. The cabinet member said she would take away the point on SMART objectives.

·  Members commented that some of the green industrial jobs promised by the government, such as wind, may not come to pass and asked about local plans. It was explained that there will be a particular emphasis on ensuring there are jobs and capacity to deliver the retrofit programmes. The number of jobs to retrofit is massive and there is a skills shortage. Jobs are also expected with trees and reforestation. The construction industry is also significant and this is being made a centre for green recovery. The cabinet lead for the environment explained that she is working with the cabinet member for Jobs, Business and Town Centres, Cllr Ochere, on this agenda.  The potential for linking up with local colleges and universities was discussed.

·  Commission members were assured that retrofitting plans do include the Victorian houses, including those in conservation areas, and there are plans for a Heritage SPD to facilitate this.

·  The outlay for installing heat pumps was discussed, given the potential for carbon and financial savings, but significant installation costs. The council does not yet have a financial model in place to deliver this and is conscious of the financial impact on leaseholders.

·  The commitment to Social Justice in the strategy was referenced with a query on its purpose. It was explained that this will be taken forward by thinking about co- benefits; to the environment and people, and reducing inequalities.

·  Members sounded a note of caution on the plans to expand the burning of waste in SELCHP, with concerns about this creating a market for waste, and the associated emissions. The cabinet member undertook to keep an eye on this.

·  Comments were made by a member that the food section in the strategy is thin on reducing carbon through practices such as going vegan, and the cabinet member agreed there is room to explore encouraging meat and dairy free diets.

·  The timeline for food, garden collection and grey water being optimally utilised was touched upon, with a report indicated.

·  Southwark’s capacity to build to Passivhaus and generate solar through PV was discussed. The cabinet member said that there are plans to build to Passivhaus standards, however construction will only get so far unless there is a connection to an air or ground source pump or heat network. There is also an administrative cost to Passivhaus.

·  The commission asked about the manifesto commitment to deliver Community Energy. The cabinet lead and officer said previously the figures did not stack up for housing without the Feed in Tariff (FIT), however this will be looked at again and include community buildings.

·  There was a discussion on the Urban Greening Factor and importance of having the capacity to deliver this in planning as required by the London Plan. 

RESOLVED

A briefing will be provided setting out the reason for choosing the three pilot heat pump networks.