Councillors agreed a Climate Emergency Declaration in June this year, which included a 12-point plan of commitments to help tackle climate change.
And next week a meeting of the local authority’s Finance, Procurement and Transformation Committee will be asked to allocate £50,000 of funding from the council’s Change Fund to resource the implementation of the declaration. This would include assisting council services to progress the commitments, supporting the leadership of a cross party working group and establishing a Citizen’s Panel with the aim of preparing a Climate Change Strategic Action Plan.
A report circulated ahead of next week’s meeting states: “Given the cross-council approach and wide-ranging work required to take forward and realise the commitments in the 12-point plan, it is important that the Climate Emergency Declaration is recognised as a change initiative and resourced accordingly. “Estimated initial costings to formulate the Climate Change Strategic Action Plan are based on resources allocated to other council initiatives and in comparison with other local authorities.”
It explains that £50,000 would fund the plans through to March next year and would include the costs associated with creating a climate emergency project officer and the establishment of the Citizen’s Panel. The Finance, Procurement and Transformation Committee will consider the report on Tuesday.
