Issue - meetings
Audit Wales Assurance & Risk Assessment Report - Carbon reduction plan
Meeting: 19/03/2024 - Climate Change Committee (Item 46)
46 Audit Wales Assurance & Risk Assessment Report - Carbon reduction plan 
PDF 143 KB
To acknowledge the outcome of the Audit Wales report and support action being taken to address its recommendation.
Additional documents:
- Enc. 1 - Audit Wales report, item 46
PDF 260 KB
- Enc. 2 - Cost and carbon estimates, item 46
PDF 59 KB
- Webcast for Audit Wales Assurance & Risk Assessment Report - Carbon reduction plan
Decision:
That the Committee notes the outcome of the Audit Wales report and supports action being taken to address its recommendation.
Minutes:
The Chief Officer (Planning, Environment and Economy) presented a report on the outcome of the Audit Wales report on the Council’s carbon commitment and actions against the findings of their public sector wide report. The report had been considered by Cabinet and the Environment and Economy Overview & Scrutiny Committee.
During discussion, Councillor Allan Marshall said that legislation from Welsh Government should be supported by the relevant funding.
In acknowledging the recommendation by Audit Wales, Councillor Steve Copple asked whether the lack of funding posed a risk to the Council’s ambitions and said that achievable small wins were a way forward given the current financial constraints.
The Chief Officer said that the Council would review the strategy and its ambitions within the next 18 months and that there would be an opportunity for involvement by the Committee. He went on to refer to the potential to utilise Salix schemes (as had been done in previous years) to contribute to energy efficiency savings in addition to carbon reduction projects built into the Capital Programme.
The Chair suggested that officers from the Capital Finance team could be invited to a future meeting to discuss the options available to deliver the Council’s objectives. The Chief Officer suggested that the item could incorporate positive examples of how projects in previous years had been funded.
In response to comments from Councillor Hilary McGuill on the need for more carbon neutral new developments, the Chief Officer advised that whilst this was predominantly under Building Control, arrangements would be made for Planning Committee training. The Chair referred to discussion on this subject at the Committee’s meeting in July 2023.
The recommendation was moved and seconded by Councillors Ian Hodge and Carolyn Preece.
RESOLVED:
That the Committee notes the outcome of the Audit Wales report and supports action being taken to address its recommendation.