Agenda and minutes

Consider Minute of meeting held on 17 September 2021. (Copy attached).

There had been circulated copies of the Minute of the Meeting held on 17 September 2021.

DECISION

AGREED to approve the Minute for signature by the Chairman.

Consider report by Director, Infrastructure and Environment. (Copy attached).

The agenda item will provide Members of the Sustainable Development Committee with the opportunity to explore the Plan of Priority Actions in detail with the relevant officers present.

2.1       There had been circulated copies of the Climate Change Route Map Priority Action Plan (CCRM) that presented a strategic direction for the Council and its partners and communities to move to a net zero emissions Scottish Borders economy by 2045, in line with the national target set by the Scottish Government.  The Director Infrastructure and Environment explained that the Senior Policy Advisor, Mr Cook, introduced the CCRM at a meeting of Scottish Borders Council on 10 March 2022 which gave its endorsement.  The five key themes of the CCRM were approved at a meeting of Council on 17 June and the action plan was subsequently approved.  The CCRM was structured around 5 Themes, each consisting of five milestones.  These Themes were:

-       Building Resilience,

-       Decarbonising our Transport Use,

-       Nature-based Solutions to Climate Change,

-       Lowering our Energy Consumption; and,

-       Decarbonising our Waste Management.

1.2         The report proposed that progress and delivery of the Priority Action Plan be overseen and scrutinised by the Sustainable Development Committee, with a consolidated report presented annually to Council.  The priority actions laid out in Appendix 1 responded to the milestones identified within the themes of CCRM.  As it would not be possible to deliver everything at the same pace or time, an assessment was undertaken to determine which actions should be prioritised over the next two years.  The action table in Appendix 1 set out a description of the proposed activity, details of the tasks required, where possible the anticipated savings in carbon emissions and climate adaptation benefits, projects costs and timescales.

1.3         Environmental Strategy Coordinator, Ms Cox, presented the draft priority actions 2022-24 for the theme Building Resilience and highlighted the target for 50% of SBC staff to have taken intermediate level accredited carbon literacy training by March 2023, Learning for Sustainability embedded into learning for all primary and high schools, the South East Scotland Regional Climate Risk Assessment and the target to deliver Initial Coastal Defence Asset Management Plan within two years.  In response to questions from Members, the Environmental Strategy Coordinator explained that Keep Scotland Beautiful had run two pilot training cohorts where 20 staff undertook accredited carbon literacy training modules.  The Director Infrastructure and Environment advised that one of the first groups to be targeted for training would be Members and it would be part of the induction for the new Council.  Discussions had taken place with South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) and Dumfries and Galloway Council about aligning carbon literacy training as closely as possible.

1.4         The Director Environment and Infrastructure introduced Project Manager Team Leader, Mr Doyle, and Fleet Manager, Mr Naylor, to present on the Decarbonising our Transport theme highlighting how transport was an enabler for a Just Transition.  Targets in the theme included Behaviour Change utilising a proactive communications strategy and education approach to support all of the ambitions in the CCRM, an annual review to identify additional measures to support 20mph limits in settlements, investigating new technologies for street lighting, a rural  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

Members thanked Councillor Aitchison for his chairing of the Sustainable Development Committee.