Climate emergency action plan - pathway to net zero

We know there is a need for the climate agenda to be a strong policy thread across the council. Without climate being a focus for all our officers and members, woven through each of our departments, we will fail to embed a net zero culture. We will ensure all our decisions help to meet national and local net zero carbon targets, improve air quality and protect and restore nature.

Delivery update and future areas of focus

Leadership & accountability

• A Councillor at cabinet level has been in place since 2020, with a lead officer in place since 2021.
• Looking ahead: The organisation structure and expertise required to deliver against the emission reduction targets is currently being reviewed. Specific climate objectives will be set across service delivery teams to support delivery.

Climate SPD

• The Climate SPD was implemented in 2022 and has delivered early results. Because of the SPD, an additional 265 houses will be built using low carbon heat technologies, rather than gas boilers.
• Looking ahead: We are reviewing the effectiveness of the Climate SPD to date, to improve effectiveness and support development of effective Net Zero planning policies within the Strategic Local Plan. We are increasingly monitoring Council’s own regeneration investment through this lens.

Climate impact assessment

• The Climate Tool is routinely used to inform major decisions in the Council It has been used as best practice case study by the Local Government Association.
• Looking Ahead: The Climate Impact Assessment is being reviewed to maximise effectiveness and inform further development of the tool.

Proposed Actions

Priority in 2021-23

• Identify both a councillor at cabinet level and a lead officer as Climate Champions, who are required to publish an annual public report on progress against meeting the targets set out in the CEAP
• Issue a new climate-focused Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) that addresses the limitations within the existing Local Plan and Joint Core Strategy. This will set a new ‘Cheltenham Standard’ for developers and aid our planners in their decision making. The SPD may include the necessity to develop using Natural Flood Management (NFM) techniques, the requirement to achieve Biodiversity Net Gain, installing sustainable energy solutions, driving adoption of the ‘Building with Nature’ benchmark and the use of Passivhaus standards
• Introduce a tool to ensure that climate implications are adequately considered at the early stages of each project, initiative or decision. This tool should be used to develop initiatives that the lowest possible impact on the environment whilst still meeting the needs of the council

Priority in 2024-26

• Annually review the existing and additional workforce needed to deliver the actions set out in this pathway and swiftly prioritise the decisions and investment needed to recruit the necessary capacity and expertise
• Align our council statutory and non-statutory plans, policies and guidance with our climate, nature and green economy goals, including corporate areas such as procurement and infrastructure development