Agenda item

The Council had before it a report by the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning which sought approval of the Climate Change Plan 2021-2025: Towards a Net Zero and Climate Resilient Council, which set a net zero target for Council assets and operations; and outlined actions for this period to reduce carbon emissions and increase resilience to climate change.

The report recommended:-

that the Council -

(a)           approve the Climate Change Plan 2021 - 2025 (Appendix 1) and note the scope, approach, governance and milestones in the plan for Council managed assets and operations;

(b)           note the ultimate and interim targets within the plan to achieve net zero corporate carbon emissions by 2045, against the plan’s defined reporting boundary;

(c)           approve the Project Register Summary (Appendix 2) and instruct the Chief Operating Officer to (i) progress the delivery of existing projects on the Project Register; (ii) make any changes which are necessary to those projects which are required, or would contribute to the delivery of the plan; and (iii) develop new projects which are required or which would contribute to the delivery of the plan (always in consultation with relevant Chief Officers, and in accordance with the Council’s Scheme of Governance);

(d)           note the pilot of a Carbon Budget during the financial year 2021-22;

(e)           instruct the Chief Operating Officer to report back to Full Council with a revised 5 year plan in 2025, or earlier if required.

The Council resolved:-

(i)             to note that the United Kingdom Government will host the 26^th United Nations Climate Change conference (COP26) in Glasgow from 1 to 12 November 2021;

(ii)           to note the “A Climate-Positive city at the heart of the global energy transition - A vision and prospectus for Aberdeen” policy document adopted at the May 2020 Urgent Business Committee;

(iii)          to agree that Aberdeen City Council is committed to working with the UK Government, devolved governments, other public sector partners, civil society, companies and people on the frontline of climate change to inspire climate action before and after COP26 within the boundaries as demonstrated by (ii) above;

(iv)          to authorise the Council Leader to sign the Glasgow Food and Climate Declaration on behalf of Aberdeen City Council;

(v)           to approve the Climate Change Plan 2021 - 2025 (Appendix 1) and note the scope, approach, governance and milestones in the plan for Council managed assets and operations;

(vi)          to note the ultimate and interim targets within the plan to achieve net zero corporate emissions by 2045, against the plan’s defined reporting boundary;

(vii)        to approve the Project Register Summary (Appendix 2) and instruct the Chief Operating Officer to (i) progress the delivery of existing projects on the Project Register; (ii) make any changes which are necessary to those projects which are required, or would contribute to the delivery of the plan; and (iii) develop new projects which are required or which would contribute to the delivery of the plan; (always in consultation with relevant Chief Officers, and in accordance with the Council’s Scheme of Governance);

(viii)       to note the pilot of a Carbon Budget during the financial year 2021-22;

(ix)          to instruct the Chief Operating Officer to report back to Full Council with a revised 5-year plan in 2025, or earlier if required;

(x)           to agree that cities like Aberdeen, the European Capital of Energy, have a key role to play in leading such a transition, therefore welcome the step change that the Council Climate Change Plan 2021-25 represented in terms of Aberdeen City Council’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions from its own operations;

(xi)          to instruct the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to develop an Aberdeen Energy Transition and Climate Change Route map through the Net Zero Leadership Board and Delivery Unit to meet our ambition to be a Net Zero city and report the Aberdeen Energy Transition and Climate Change Route map back to Council before March 2022; and

(xii)        to instruct the Chief Executive to lead a city-wide campaign using social media, Community Planning Aberdeen, Net Zero Leadership Board, Aberdeen City Council’s partners and business associates to promote Aberdeen City Council’s Climate Change Plan and reflecting the significance of the COP26 conference in November 2021, report progress of the campaign to the December 2021 Council meeting.