SPC 4 - Minutes

Minutes of Strategic Policy Committee 4 (Climate Change) Meeting held on Wednesday 14th October 2020 in The Council Chamber, County Hall, Riverside, Sligo at 11 am


IN ATTENDANCE:

  • Ciarán Hayes, Chief Executive
  • Tom Kilfeather, Director of Services
  • Councillor Sinéad Maguire (Chairperson)
  • Councillor Dara Mulvey
  • Bernard Finan, Agriculture/Farming Sector Representative
  • Yvonne Lang, Environment/Conservation Sector Representative
  • Fineen O’Driscoll, A/Senior Engineer
  • Siobhán Gillen, A/Administrative Officer
  • Pete Murtagh, Environmental Awareness Officer
  • Clodagh Quinn, Staff Officer

 

APOLOGIES:

Councillor Dónal Gilroy

 

1.  MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 29TH JULY 2020

The minutes of the SPC 4 meeting held on 29th July 2020 were proposed by Councillor Dara Mulvey, seconded by Mr. Bernard Finan and agreed.

 

2.  MATTERS ARISING

The Chief Executive, Mr. Ciarán Hayes, advised committee members of the following:

  • Standing Orders which govern Council meetings have been amended to include the quorum agreed for SPC 4 meetings (4 no. members in total comprising 2 no. Elected Representatives and 2 no. Sectoral Representatives).
  • Devenish Nutrition are agreeable to a visit by committee members - a possible date of Spring 2021 was mooted depending on Covid-19 regulations at that time.

It was also noted that relevant meeting documentation should be circulated to committee members well in advance of meeting dates.

 

3.  DRAFT WORK PROGRAMME 2020 / 2021

Mr. Pete Murtagh, Environmental Awareness Officer, took committee members through the Draft Work Programme which had been circulated in advance of the meeting.  A discussion on each Work Programme Item followed with the main points highlighted as follows:

1.  Climate Adaptation Strategy:

A steering group and working group have been formed to work on actions which arise from the Climate Adaptation Strategy.

2.  Energy:

The Council have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ESB Smart Energy Services who have carried out an inventory on lighting and made proposals for upgrading where appropriate. While it will take a seven year period to realise the full benefit of savings, it is envisaged that same will be in the region of 60% over 6 no. buildings.

3.  Signing up to ‘Covenant of Mayors’:

Following consideration of this Item, SPC Members agreed in principle to sign up to the Covenant of Mayors which will involve commitments in terms of mitigation and adaptation measures. The recommendation will now go before the full Council for consideration. 

4.  Decarbonising Zone:

Engagement with the Atlantic Seaboard North Climate Action Regional Office (CARO) is ongoing in terms of a feasibility study to see how a particular site in Sligo may be used as a decarbonising zone.

5.  Optimising Power at Work Scheme:

While the scheme is currently suspended, work had begun on ascertaining energy costs in the County Hall building.

6.  Building Lighting Upgrades:

Previously dealt with under No. 2 above (Energy).

7.  Community Engagement:

The possibility of inviting representatives from Comhairle na n-Óg and the Green Campus Committee (I.T. Sligo) to attend a committee meeting was discussed.

8.  Smarter Travel and Air Quality:

Initiative from the Department of Transport which supports large employers to encourage more sustainable travel choices among their staff and to examine how staff members travel can be reduced in terms of emissions etc. In a related area, committee members were advised of initiatives being carried out by the Council which include the installation of air quality monitors on the Inner Relief Road and also in the Cranmore housing estate to examine what impact the installation of new stoves in houses there are having on the air quality in the area.

9.  Woodland Creation on Public Lands Forestry Initiative:

100% grant funded scheme from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine which aims to encourage public bodies to establish new native woodlands on suitable bare land. It was suggested that the Public Participation Network (PPN) could be used for possible local proposals.

10.  Electric Vehicles – Local Authority Fleet & Charging Points:

The Council currently have 1 no. electric vehicle and hope to acquire another in the near future. Grants are available to Local Authorities for the installation of charging points which the Council is working on at present. Sligo has 2 no. fast charging points in the County located in Grange and Union Place, Sligo.

11.  Field Trip to Devenish Nutrition in Co. Meath:

Previously dealt with under Matters Arising above.

12.  Training – Staff & Councillor Training via CARO:

Item dealt with under Agenda Item No. 4 below.

13.  Agree Work Programme for 2022:

A possible item for inclusion on the 2022 Work Programme may be involvement with the development of a Strandhill Sustainable Energy Community Masterplan which would examine energy usage in the Strandhill area.

 

4. Climate Action Regional Offices (CAROs) Training Programme

The Chief Executive, Mr. Ciarán Hayes, advised the meeting that the CAROs, in association with a range of contributors, have devised a Climate Action Leadership Training Programme which will be delivered to Local Authority staff and Elected Members over the coming months. The programme will also be extended to sectoral representatives on the Climate Change SPC if they wish to avail of same. The programme, which will be piloted in Sligo, will consist of a half-day’s training and will comprise of 4 no. modules which encourage participants to leverage their roles and responsibilities to enable and embed climate action across the wide range of local authority functions.  

 

5.  Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Development for Local Authority Climate Action

The Chief Executive, Mr. Ciarán Hayes, explained that the Climate Action Charter outlines a requirement for local authorities to monitor, evaluate and report annually on the implementation of activities under the charter and so it is necessary for the sector to identify a range of Key Performance Indicators which will measure and track the progress of each Local Authority and the sector generally against the objectives of the charter. For this purpose, charter actions have been grouped under five categories – Mainstreaming, Mitigation, Internal Behavioural Change & Capacity Building, Adaptation and Community Capacity Building & Citizen Engagement.

Local Authorities are also tasked with advancing the actions set out in the All of Government Climate Action Plan approved in 2019.

 

6.  Date of next meeting

It was agreed that a schedule of meeting dates for 2021 would be agreed with the Chair and circulated to members.

 

7.  Any Other Business

On the occasion of his upcoming retirement, the Chair, Councillor Sinéad Maguire thanked the Chief Executive, Mr. Ciarán Hayes, for his commitment and leadership in the area of climate change noting that it was his enthusiasm which led to the establishment of the Climate Action Regional Offices.

 

The business of the meeting concluded at 12.15 p.m.

 


Meeting Date 14/10/2020