The Board were presented with a draft revised Climate Change Strategy for the council, prior to its consideration by Full Council.

The Climate Action Delivery Manager explained to Members that in September 2024, the Cabinet considered a report reflecting the achievements of the Council and the borough since declaring the Climate emergency in 2019. The report recognised the increasing challenges in delivering the council’s target for decarbonising its own operations and the limited impact this will have on wider borough emissions, highlighting the opportunity to refocus resources and efforts on wider climate actions and their co-benefits to further the interests of the borough as a whole and approval was given to develop a new Climate Strategy for the Council.

A consultation exercise was planned to connect with  the community to get their feedback and suggestions for the next iteration of the Strategy; the community feedback was gathered through various different sources such as the ‘Go Vocal’ Platform, meeting students from ‘Gravesham Youth Council’, meeting Parish councillors and through one of the big conversation events hosted at Wombwell Park The responses from the consultation, Desnz data, other information like carbon budgets, Climate Change & Kent Community Risk Register, the Councils own strategies such as Air Quality Action Plan, Biodiversity First Consideration Report and the Emerging local plan helped to shape the draft strategy which was detailed in Appendix Two.

Following approval from the Climate Change Advisory Board, the draft strategy would be presented to the Full Council on 17^th June for approval and adoption and then shared on the ‘Go Vocal’ platform for final feedback from residents.

The Chair thanked the Climate Action Delivery Manager for her presentation and advised that he was interested to see the extent of consultation that had been undertaken with the community businesses, individuals and the Youth Council in particular as they represented the thinking of the future.

The Chair noted that the new Strategy recognised that the Council had undertaken as much climate change work as possible, as a Borough Council, with regards to its own housing and assets to meet the carbon emission target of 2030 and was moving away from its previous role into a leadership role, seeking government funding and supporting the wider community in implementing activity to reduce emissions as well as make savings and other improvements. The Chair added that it was important that the Strategy and the Councils climate change work be communicated to the wider community, and schools and other agencies be engaged with.

The Board made several comments:

• Officers should be commended for a very good strategy but asked that wording be added to the covering report celebrating the successes of the work completed and outlining the financial benefits to Gravesham residents stemming from the climate change activities. The Chair added that the wording should only be added to the covering report as background information with the Strategy as a standalone document 
• The Youth Councils work were important, and their views were welcome in forming the Strategy and with supporting future activities
• It was clear from the responses that people were concerned about climate change, both locally and nationally, and it was good to see that people were starting to feel more informed on the subject
• The Councils freighter fleet running on HVO should be commended for being at the forefront of reducing carbon emissions in the Borough 

The Director (Corporate Services) confirmed that the wording could be added; it was suggested that in developing the delivery plan, it could be expanded to include those financial and other co-benefits and cement the position of the Council moving into a leadership type role. 

The Chair thanked the Board for their comments and advised that any further changes following this meeting would be dealt with by himself prior to Full Council.

The Board agreed that:

• the draft revised Climate Change Strategy for the council be endorsed and;

• delegated authority be given for any further updates to be made, in consultation with the Leader of the Executive, prior to submission to Full Council for formal approval and adoption