That the Devon Carbon Plan, as set out in Appendix 1 to the submitted report, be approved.

A range of actions to tackle climate change were most effective if delivered at a county-level, these included projects to support the decarbonisation of housing, transport, business sectors and in bidding for government funding. There was also additional capacity at a Devon-level that could support climate action locally in Torbay. Torbay had therefore been working with the Devon Climate Emergency Partnership to oversee the development of a Devon Carbon Plan.

The alternative options were:

(i)         Not to endorse the Devon Carbon Plan; or

(ii)        Endorse the Devon Carbon Plan

Option (i) above would result in some actions within the Devon Carbon Plan not being delivered across Devon and in Torbay. This may slow progress towards Torbay’s 2030 target and Devon’s 2050 target. This option was therefore not recommended.

Option (ii) was the preferred, recommended option. It would provide the Council with the best chance of significant progress towards tackling the Climate Emergency, meeting the 2030 target and meeting the Community and Corporate Plan’s ambition by working with partners across Devon. It would also support Devon to deliver on its ambitious plans and meet its 2030 and 2050 targets.

This decision will come into force and may be implemented on 28 December 2022 unless the call-in procedure is triggered (as set out in the Standing Orders in relation to Overview and Scrutiny).

Torbay Council declared a Climate Emergency in June 2019. A range of actions were already being taken to work towards tackling the Climate Emergency and Torbay becoming carbon neutral by 2030.  In addition, Officers had been working with the Devon Climate Emergency Response Group to oversee the development of a Devon Carbon Plan.

The Devon Carbon Plan sets out an ambition to tackle climate change across all of Devon, including those people who live, work in and visit our county, and those businesses who are based or operate here.

The Plan was a roadmap for how Devon would reach net-zero emissions by 2050 (at the latest) with an interim target of 50% reduction by 2030, and how each partner organisation could help to achieve this.

At the meeting Councillor Morey proposed and Councillor Steve Darling seconded a motion that was unanimously agreed by the Cabinet, as set out above.

None.