To be moved by Councillor Kevin Warnes

Seconded by Councillor Martin Love

Council notes that the ‘Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C’, published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in October 2018, (a) describes the enormous harm that a 2°C rise is likely to cause compared with a 1.5°C rise, and (b) confirms that limiting Global Warming to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society and the private sector.

Council welcomes recent climate action by the London Mayor and Assembly, leading UK local authorities including Bristol and Manchester, and other city authorities around the world to declare - and commit resources to tackling - our ‘Climate Emergency’.

Council notes our own January 2010 energy procurement motion, passed with all-party support, which resolved that Bradford Council would:

a) reduce its overall use of gas, electricity and heating oil by at least 20% by 2020 in a way that also delivered an overall cut of at least 20% in the carbon emissions associated with these sources of energy, using 2005 as a baseline year;

b) ensure that at least 20% of the current energy requirements of the Council’s estate were met by renewable energy by 2020, preferably sourced within the District;

c) ensure that these targets were included in the Council’s Climate Change Strategy that was scheduled for completion in June 2010, and that this Strategy would also include the minimum target for 2020 of a 40% cut in the Council’s overall carbon emissions (including schools), using 2005 as a baseline year;

d) work with the District’s Environment Partnership in 2010 to ensure that the Partnership adopted the minimum target of a 40% cut in District-wide carbon emissions by 2020, using 2005 as a baseline year, and that any annual targets finalised in subsequent Local Area Agreements or their equivalents from 2011 onwards would be consistent with this overarching goal.

Council notes that the Environment and Waste Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee adopted two wide-ranging Link Member Reports in 2009 and 2013 which provided detailed recommendations for achieving the Council’s carbon reduction targets adopted in January 2010.

Council notes that significant progress has been made towards achieving our carbon reduction and renewable energy targets set out in 2010, but expresses concern that these targets have not yet been fully achieved and that Bradford Council has not finalised a carbon reduction plan for 2020 and beyond.

Council acknowledges that we must show more ambitious civic leadership in response to the challenges of global warming and climate change, specifically in relation to (a) reducing our own greenhouse gas emissions, and (b) encouraging and enabling our community and private organisations based in Bradford District to do likewise.

Council acknowledges that ‘business as usual’ is not an option in the face of the climate emergency and that we may need to strategically reassess and adjust the scope of our current activities in order to make the transition to a low-carbon society by 2030.

Council therefore:

1)    joins London, Bristol, Manchester and other UK local authorities in declaring a ‘Climate Emergency’;

2)    commits to becoming a carbon-neutral organisation by 2030 (including Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions as defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol);

3)    requests that the Leader of Council reports back to Council within six months with an Action Plan and ‘roadmap’ to ensure that Bradford Council becomes a carbon-neutral organisation by 2030;

4)    requests that the Leader of Council reports back to Council within six months with detailed information about how the Council will work with partners across the Leeds City Region and with central government to seek to ensure that Bradford District’s net carbon emissions (Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3) are reduced by 90% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels;

5)    requests that the Chief Executive establishes a ‘Bradford District Climate Change Board’ before the end of 2019, equivalent to that of Manchester, to underpin our efforts to decarbonise Bradford District;

6)    requests that the Chief Executive writes to the government requesting (a) additional powers and funding to make our 2030 target possible and (b) that ministers work with other governments to ensure that the UK maximizes carbon reduction by 2030 in line with the overriding need to limit global warming to a maximum of 1.5°C.

A motion was moved by Councillor Warnes.

An amendment moved by Councillor Ferriby, as set out in the resolution below, was carried.

An amendment was also moved by Councillor Ellis.

Resolved –

Council notes

The ‘Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C’, published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in October 2018, (a) describes the enormous harm that a 2°C rise is likely to cause compared with a 1.5°C rise, and (b) confirms that limiting Global Warming to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society and the private sector.  This is indeed a climate emergency.

As a Council, since passing our own January 2010 energy procurement motion with all-party support, we have made great steps in reducing our own carbon emissions and have exceeded our aims of achieving a 40% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020.  We must however go further faster.

Council welcomes recent climate action by the London Mayor and Assembly, leading UK authorities including Bristol and Manchester and other city authorities around the world to declare – and commit resources to tackling our Climate Emergency.

Council welcomes the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (the LEP) decision to adopt a new energy strategy and delivery plan which adopts the ambitions of the Paris agreement.

To achieve the significant results that are required to fulfil this ambition, the council is focussing on delivering five key priorities which, as well as tackling climate change, also create jobs and help people reduce their fuel bills:

• Delivering a reduction in the energy used for street lighting, saving emissions and also saving the council money in energy bills.
• Delivering a District Heat network to save on heating costs of the council estate and of partner organisations in the civic quarter
• Embracing the opportunities provided by the H21 Leeds City Region scheme
• Increasing the proportion of EV hybrid vehicles in use in the council fleet and supporting the roll out of EV charging points across the district to help promote uptake of electric vehicle use.
• Increasing the amount of renewable energy and electricity generation on council estate.

This Council:

• Requests officers to report to Regeneration & Environment Overview & Scrutiny Committee setting out the key challenges and options for delivering the five priorities.
• Requests that the Chief Executive writes to Government requesting: a) additional funding and powers to enable us to deliver the Paris agreement and (b) that ministers work with other governments to ensure that the UK maximises carbon reduction by 2036 in order to fulfil the objectives of the Paris Climate Change Agreement.

·         Will play an active part in the Leeds City Region Energy Summit being held in Spring this year, where the setting of regional energy reduction targets will be discussed.  We commit to challenging the region’s ambition on this agenda.

ACTION:        Chief Executive/Strategic Director Place/Strategic Director Corporate Resources/City Solicitor (Overview and Scrutiny Lead)