Agenda item

9.1

It was formally moved by Councillor Douglas Johnson, and formally seconded by Councillor Christine Gilligan, that this Council:-

(a)      notes that in 2018, at COP24, the UK Government signed up to having ‘domestic institutional arrangements, public participation and engagement with local communities’ so localities can play their part in delivering the UK’s ‘Nationally Determined Contributions’ in the Paris Climate Agreement;

(b)      further notes that, in May 2021, the Rt. Hon. Alok Sharma MP, President of COP26, said collaboration would be a key objective of the climate summit - "Governments, business and civil society (sometimes called ‘non-state actors’ and including local government) need to work together to transform the ways we power our homes and businesses, grow our food, develop infrastructure and move ourselves and goods around";

(c)      believes that, despite these agreements and statements, there is still no formal relationship allowing joint partnership working between Local and National Government on climate action;

(d)      therefore resolves to add this Council’s voice to calls by the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport, and others, for a joint local and national government taskforce to plan action to reach ‘net zero’ emissions; such a partnership can set appropriate regulations, benchmarks and targets and create the much needed long-term funding mechanisms to enable local communities and economies to decarbonise whilst remaining resilient and sustainable; and

(e)      will therefore ask the Chief Executive to write to Alok Sharma MP, President for COP26, the Prime Minister, and the Leadership Board of the LGA, informing them of our support for a joint Local/National Government Climate Change Partnership Taskforce and asking for one to be established as soon as possible.

9.2

Whereupon, it was formally moved by Councillor Mark Jones, and formally seconded by Councillor Mike Chaplin, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of new paragraphs (f) to (o) as follows:-

(f)       believes that the Government needs to get serious about their supposed ‘levelling-up’ agenda and support local authorities, by delivering regional investment banks – to support councils in creating jobs and building the energy and transport infrastructure we so desperately need;

(g)      notes that the Council has always sought to work with government in delivering positive action in tackling the climate emergency, and protecting against its adverse effects;

(h)      notes, for instance, the multi-million-pound investment in flood defences, and that this Council is building today for tomorrow’s changed climate, and that the Council’s long-term plan is needed to deliver Natural Flood Measures, but these measures will need investment to maintain and develop, and calls on the Government to support us with substantially more investment in delivering this;

(i)       believes that the Government needs to implement radical waste management strategies and that for too long they have failed to act on this issue, when they should be supporting councils to kick start new clean industrial sectors - reclaiming and retaining energy at every step of a product’s life cycle;

(j)       notes the extension to Household Waste Recycling Centre opening times, but this comes at cost to the Council and believes that the Government needs to significantly invest in Sheffield to deliver 21st Century Waste Recycling Centres with a focus on sustainability;

(k)      believes that the Government should provide investment to deliver bio-gas facilities to reduce our national dependency on extractive gas imports, and greater investment to push forward with hydrogen and renewables to reduce carbon emissions from home heating, and reduce carbon emissions whilst housing infrastructure is made fit for the future;

(l)       believes that the Government must offer tax incentives for homegrown companies to develop the energy infrastructure of not only tomorrow, but today;

(m)     believes we need a significant and long-term funding commitment from the Government so that all Council homes can be improved to take them from Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C to net zero, as the current funding arrangements leave a shortfall of funding required which local authorities are unfairly having to pick up;

(n)      calls on the Government to commit to increasing funding on new homes to ensure that homes are built at net zero, and that the biggest challenge in the city for achieving residential net zero is the private sector (rented and owner occupied) with currently little funding available to deal with the cost of retrofitting; and

(o)      believes that the current piecemeal funding strategy of the Government creates unrealistic delivery timeframes, and they should provide much more support and long-term planning to allow councils to invest sustainably and responsibly in tackling the climate emergency.

9.3

It was then formally moved by Councillor Tim Huggan, and formally seconded by Councillor Barbara Masters, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.       the addition of the following words at the end of paragraph (c) -

“recognising the importance of local government in achieving net zero across the world, and notes that globally, the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) have called for COP26 to be recognised as the ‘Multilevel Action COP’ in acknowledgment of the fact that more than half of the emissions cuts needed rely on people and businesses taking up low-carbon solutions - decisions that are made at a local and individual level”;

2.       the re-lettering of paragraph (e) as a new paragraph (f) and the addition of a new paragraph (e) as follows:-

(e)      calls for the inclusion of a dedicated chapter for local governments in the official agreement reached at COP26, recognising the importance of local government in co-designing and delivering climate action and to ensure that local government is politically and financially empowered to meet that ambition;

3.       the addition of a new paragraph (g) as follows:-

(g)      requests that Sheffield, in committing to the ambitious targets as set out in the ‘ARUP’ report, sets clear targets with a review of progress towards its self-declared Climate Goals being reported to the appropriate committee on an annual basis, together with any actions required to maintain the Council’s commitments.

9.4

The amendment moved by Councillor Mark Jones was put to the vote and was carried.

9.4.1

(NOTE: 1. Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Richard Shaw, Sophie Thornton, Bob McCann, Ann Woolhouse, Tim Huggan, Mohammed Mahroof, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Vic Bowden, Alan Woodcock, Roger Davison, Barbara Masters, Shaffaq Mohammed, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Sue Auckland, Steve Ayris, Kevin Oxley, Penny Baker, Richard Williams, Alan Hooper, Mike Levery and Ann Whitaker voted for paragraphs (f) and (h) to (o) of the amendment moved by Councillor Mark Jones, and abstained from voting on paragraph (g) of the amendment, and asked for this to be recorded.

2.  Councillor Lewis Chinchen voted for paragraphs (k) and (l) of the amendment moved by Councillor Mark Jones, voted against paragraphs (g) and (i) of the amendment, and abstained from voting on paragraphs (f), (h), (j) and (m) to (o) of the amendment, and asked for this to be recorded.)

9.5

The amendment moved by Councillor Tim Huggan was then put to the vote and was also carried.

9.6

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried.

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

(a)      notes that in 2018, at COP24, the UK Government signed up to having ‘domestic institutional arrangements, public participation and engagement with local communities’ so localities can play their part in delivering the UK’s ‘Nationally Determined Contributions’ in the Paris Climate Agreement;

(b)      further notes that, in May 2021, the Rt. Hon. Alok Sharma MP, President of COP26, said collaboration would be a key objective of the climate summit - "Governments, business and civil society (sometimes called ‘non-state actors’ and including local government) need to work together to transform the ways we power our homes and businesses, grow our food, develop infrastructure and move ourselves and goods around";

(c)      believes that, despite these agreements and statements, there is still no formal relationship allowing joint partnership working between Local and National Government on climate action recognising the importance of local government in achieving net zero across the world, and notes that globally, the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) have called for COP26 to be recognised as the ‘Multilevel Action COP’ in acknowledgment of the fact that more than half of the emissions cuts needed rely on people and businesses taking up low-carbon solutions - decisions that are made at a local and individual level;

(d)      therefore resolves to add this Council’s voice to calls by the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport, and others, for a joint local and national government taskforce to plan action to reach ‘net zero’ emissions; such a partnership can set appropriate regulations, benchmarks and targets and create the much needed long-term funding mechanisms to enable local communities and economies to decarbonise whilst remaining resilient and sustainable;

(e)      calls for the inclusion of a dedicated chapter for local governments in the official agreement reached at COP26, recognising the importance of local government in co-designing and delivering climate action and to ensure that local government is politically and financially empowered to meet that ambition;

(f)       will therefore ask the Chief Executive to write to Alok Sharma MP, President for COP26, the Prime Minister, and the Leadership Board of the LGA, informing them of our support for a joint Local/National Government Climate Change Partnership Taskforce and asking for one to be established as soon as possible;

(g)      believes that the Government needs to get serious about their supposed ‘levelling-up’ agenda and support local authorities, by delivering regional investment banks – to support councils in creating jobs and building the energy and transport infrastructure we so desperately need;

(h)      notes that the Council has always sought to work with government in delivering positive action in tackling the climate emergency, and protecting against its adverse effects;

(i)       notes, for instance, the multi-million-pound investment in flood defences, and that this Council is building today for tomorrow’s changed climate, and that the Council’s long-term plan is needed to deliver Natural Flood Measures, but these measures will need investment to maintain and develop, and calls on the Government to support us with substantially more investment in delivering this;

(j)       believes that the Government needs to implement radical waste management strategies and that for too long they have failed to act on this issue, when they should be supporting councils to kick start new clean industrial sectors - reclaiming and retaining energy at every step of a product’s life cycle;

(k)      notes the extension to Household Waste Recycling Centre opening times, but this comes at cost to the Council and believes that the Government needs to significantly invest in Sheffield to deliver 21st Century Waste Recycling Centres with a focus on sustainability;

(l)       believes that the Government should provide investment to deliver bio-gas facilities to reduce our national dependency on extractive gas imports, and greater investment to push forward with hydrogen and renewables to reduce carbon emissions from home heating, and reduce carbon emissions whilst housing infrastructure is made fit for the future;

(m)     believes that the Government must offer tax incentives for homegrown companies to develop the energy infrastructure of not only tomorrow, but today;

(n)      believes we need a significant and long-term funding commitment from the Government so that all Council homes can be improved to take them from Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C to net zero, as the current funding arrangements leave a shortfall of funding required which local authorities are unfairly having to pick up;

(o)      calls on the Government to commit to increasing funding on new homes to ensure that homes are built at net zero, and that the biggest challenge in the city for achieving residential net zero is the private sector (rented and owner occupied) with currently little funding available to deal with the cost of retrofitting;

(p)      believes that the current piecemeal funding strategy of the Government creates unrealistic delivery timeframes, and they should provide much more support and long-term planning to allow councils to invest sustainably and responsibly in tackling the climate emergency; and

(q)      requests that Sheffield, in committing to the ambitious targets as set out in the ‘ARUP’ report, sets clear targets with a review of progress towards its self-declared Climate Goals being reported to the appropriate committee on an annual basis, together with any actions required to maintain the Council’s commitments.

9.6.1

(NOTE: 1.  Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Richard Shaw, Sophie Thornton, Bob McCann, Ann Woolhouse, Tim Huggan, Mohammed Mahroof, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Vic Bowden, Alan Woodcock, Roger Davison, Barbara Masters, Shaffaq Mohammed, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Sue Auckland, Steve Ayris, Kevin Oxley, Penny Baker, Richard Williams, Alan Hooper, Mike Levery and Ann Whitaker voted for paragraphs (a) to (g) and (i) to (q) of the Substantive Motion, and abstained from voting on paragraph (h) of the Substantive Motion, and asked for this to be recorded.

2.  Councillor Lewis Chinchen voted for paragraphs (a) to (f), (l), (m) and (q) of the Substantive Motion, voted against paragraphs (h) and (j) of the Substantive Motion, and abstained from voting on paragraphs (g), (i), (k) and (n) to (p) of the Substantive Motion, and asked for this to be recorded.)