AGENDA ITEM:
MIDDLESBROUGH COUNCIL
EXECUTIVE REPORT
INDIVIDUAL EXECUTIVE DECISION
Tees Valley Climate Change Strategy
Executive Member for Community Protection: Julia Rostron
Director of Environment: Mike Robinson
25 May 2010
PURPOSE OF THE REPORT
1.
To comment on the attached Tees Valley Climate Change Strategy produced by the
Joint Strategy Unit for the Tees Valley Climate Change Partnership.
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
2.
That the Executive Member endorses the attached Tees Valley Climate Change
strategy in principle and notes that a detailed One Planet Living Action Plan for
Middlesbrough will be presented to the Executive later this year.
IF THIS IS A KEY DECISION WHICH KEY DECISION TEST APPLIES?
3.
It is over the financial threshold (£75,000)
It has a significant impact on 2 or more wards
Non Key

DECISION IMPLEMENTATION DEADLINE
4.
For the purposes of the scrutiny call in procedure this report is
Non-urgent
Urgent report
X
If urgent please give full reasons
BACKGROUND AND EXTERNAL CONSULTATION
5.
The JSU have asked Middlesbrough Council and the Middlesbrough Partnership to
support the attached Tees Valley Climate Change Strategy. The strategy has already
been considered by the LSP Securing Environmental Sustainability Action Group who
endorsed it.
6.
The Tees Valley Climate Change Partnership (TVCCP) was formally established in
2005 and includes the five Tees Valley local authorities, the Environment Agency,
RENEW, Tees and Durham Energy Advice Centre (TADEA), the Energy Savings
Trust, Teesside University and the NHS Primary Care Trusts. The JSU coordinate
the work of the TVCCP.
7.
Every Local Authority in the North East signed up to the Covenant of Mayor’s initiative
in January 2009. This commits councils to reducing Carbon Dioxide emissions in their
local authority area by at least 21% by 2020 from a 2005 baseline. An Emissions
Baseline and a Sustainable Energy Action Plans (detailing how local authorities will
meet this target) must be submitted by all the North East Local Authorities by October
2010. Middlesbrough will meet the target and the attached document is consistent
with the work programme.
8.
From April 2010 Middlesbrough Council, along with other organisations that consume
over 6000 MWh of electricity and gas a year, will be required to participate in the
Carbon Reduction Energy Efficiency scheme (CRC). The CRC is a mandatory carbon
emissions trading scheme with an overarching aim to reduce carbon emissions from
large non-energy intensive organisations in both the public and private sectors. The
attached document will therefore support CRC priorities.
9.
The UK is legally obliged to reduce carbon emissions by 80% (from a baseline of
1990) by 2050, and the Government has committed the UK to reduce emissions by
34% (from a baseline of 1990) by 2020. The recent consultation on “Strengthening
Local Democracy” raised the possibility of assigning carbon budgets to local
authorities in the future and pilot authorities were announced in January 2010. The
proposal included in the attached document will help Middlesbrough Council address
these carbon budgets should they be brought into law.
Key Issues
10. Many of requirements in the attached Tees Valley Climate Change Strategy are
covered within existing work streams. However, there will need to be a greater focus
on reducing carbon dioxide from the domestic, business and transport sectors over
the next 10 years, particularly as the new Carbon Reduction Commitment comes into
effect from April 1st 2010. We are putting a zero carbon strand into the draft One
Planet Living Action Plan, due to come to the Executive later this year.
11. Areas that will require future consideration from Middlesbrough Council include:


Contributing to a planned communication strategy in the Tees Valley in order to
coordinate and target communication and action on climate change.
Adopting planning policies that go beyond minimum legislative requirements for
energy efficiency and renewable energy on new and existing developments, and
transport modal shifts through Local Development Frameworks. This will be
addressed in the One Planet Living Action Plan.
EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT
12. An Equality Impact Assessment has already been undertaken for climate change
activities.
OPTION APPRAISAL/RISK ASSESSMENT
13. Middlesbrough Council adopted a One Planet Living approach to Sustainability in
2008. Projects that deliver carbon dioxide savings are currently identified through
Middlesbrough’s Climate Change Partnership. This partnership will help meet
Middlesbrough’s target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 20% by 2020 as part
of the Covenant of Mayor’s initiative.
14. It is not expected that extra work will arise in the short term from measures in the
attached Tees Valley Climate Change Strategy. However, a number of medium term
measures, such as the improvements in energy efficiency of all homes, will have to be
considered in the One Planet Living Action Plan. This measure has also been
identified as a priority through the Government’s recent strategy for household energy
management: Warm Homes, Greener Home. Any measures that have funding
implications will be dealt with through the established budget monitoring procedures.
FINANCIAL, LEGAL AND WARD IMPLICATIONS
Financial
15. There are no funding implications in the recommendation to endorse the Tees Valley
Climate Change Strategy in principle. The Association of North East Councils (ANEC)
are currently coordinating a bid to the European Investment Bank that will cover costs
arising from proposed medium term actions such as the installation of renewable
energy technology.
Ward Implications
16. This Strategy benefits all wards in Middlesbrough.
Legal Implications –
17. The Strategy will support actions under National Indicator 186: Per capita carbon
dioxide emissions in Middlesbrough, through the actions to reduce carbon dioxide
emissions from the domestic, business and transport sectors. The Strategy will help
Middlesbrough meet its commitments under the Covenant of Mayor’s initiative.
RECOMMENDATIONS
18. That the Executive Member endorses the attached Tees Valley Climate Change
strategy in principle and notes that a detailed One Planet Living Action Plan for
Middlesbrough will be presented to the Executive later this year.
REASONS
19. The attached Tees Valley Climate Change strategy will support Middlesbrough’s
commitment under NI 186: per capita carbon dioxide emissions in Middlesbrough’s
and NI 188: Planning to adapt to climate change.
20. The strategy is consistent with the One Planet Living principles adopted by the Council
in April 2008.
BACKGROUND PAPERS
21. The following background papers were used in the preparation of this report:
The Tees Valley Climate Change Strategy is attached.
AUTHOR: Alasdair Monteith
TEL NO: 728265
______________________________________________________
Address:
Website: http://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk