Agenda item

A presentation as an introduction to the CC CAG.

Dr Hannah Scott (Climate Change Officer) gave a presentation on the updated Net Zero Strategy, making the following key points:

·  CO2 levels have risen at an exponential rate.

·  There is now an unbalanced CO2 cycle cause by the burning of fossil fuels which is causing climate change.

·  CO2 is produced through various differing means e.g. in homes through burning natural gas for heating using a gas boiler and cooking on gas stoves. It also is released into the atmosphere whilst burning petrol and diesel in our cars.

·  Electricity also uses fossil fuels. Previously we had used coal to produce electricity. The coal would be mined, crushed and burned. This heat would be used to turn water to steam which then turned a turbine. The moving turbine produces electricity, and in turn is transported to homes through power cables. Now we use a mixture of gas and renewables to create electricity. We need to stop burning fossil fuels and expand the use of renewables.

·  Methane levels have also increased. This is a very potent greenhouse gas.

·  Farming industries are responsible for the majority of methane emissions. This specifically came from ruminants. The increase of meat and dairy consumption across the world has increased methane emissions.

·  Likely impacts of climate change include:

1.  Heat waves and droughts

2.  Extreme storms and flash flooding

3.  Food system shortages

4.  Ecosystem disruption

·  It was predicted by the Met Office’s UK Climate Projections for the South East that, by 2080 summers would likely be hotter by around 5°C to 6°C.

·  Climate change was emphasised  as a public health emergency.

·  In 2020, Australia was burning, 28 people were killed with over 2,000 homes being lost. Additionally, it was estimated that 1 billion animals were lost, with one third of the entire koala population perishing.

·  In 2022, the UK saw a heatwave of 40.3°C. It was noted that 2022 was the warmest year since records began in 1884.

·  Thanet District Council pledged to make the Council net zero by 2030 in the core carbon footprint. This included emissions the council has direct control over, for example the estates and activities.

·  A net zero directors groups had been set up specifically to address the core emissions, and to aim to achieve net zero by 2030.

·  The greatest emissions from Thanet as a whole stood with transport and emissions from homes. TDC has pledged to assist the KCC, business and the government to reach net zero by 2050 district wide.

Members commented and asked the following questions:

·  There was lots of work to do regarding the Net Zero strategy..

·  It was of importance to communicate that climate change was considered a public health emergency. Training should be provided to all Councillors and staff at Thanet District Council.

·  Questioning was raised regarding how the communications team were getting the climate emergency messages out to the public.

·  Low cost ways of engaging with the public could be through social media influencers. 

·  Questioning regarding solar power on new builds was raised.

Dr Hannah Scott and Hannah Thorpe (Head of Strategy and Transformation) responded with the following points:

·  There is a Communications Strategy in place which sets out the ways in which the council will communicate and engage with the public regarding climate change. This includes a timeline of specific actions and activity. There has been a great deal of activity to date and this is continually being updated. The strategy and timeline will be shared with the CAG at a future meeting.

·  There was mandatory staff training on climate change. Training for Councillors would be looked into as a possibility.

·  In terms of engaging communication, social media approaches were based around no or low cost activities. However, other forms of media including posters would be looked into. 

·  The future homes and future building standards was expected to be published in late 2023.