Motion to Merge Climate Change and Sustainability Committee and Economy and Infrastructure Committee
Perth and Kinross Council · 15 May 2024
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MOTION BY COUNCILLORS A FORBES AND N KHOGALI For almost two years this Council has had a Climate Change and Sustainability Committee, a sensible response to the climate emergency that we all know exists. However, over the last two years, very few new initiatives have been brought to that committee which wouldn't have been brought to the historic Environment, Infrastructure and Economic Development Committee. Often, the committee regularly has very little business to conduct other than general 'housekeeping' Council business. The last two committees have had only one item to consider. Given the following pressures faced by the Council, we believe that it would be prudent to merge the Climate Change and Sustainability Committee and the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, as per the details in the proposition below. Committee timetable: There have been frequent issues with the availability of time in the Chambers. We believe that committees with low number of items are an inefficient use of time in the committee timetable and staff time. Financial pressures: The financial pressures on the Council are plain to see, and we believe there is an opportunity for efficiency in merging the two committees, both with regard to the PKC and political administration of the committee. General staffing pressures: Our Council officers do a fantastic job, and we acknowledge that they are under increasing pressure with regard to their time. We believe that we have an opportunity to optimise the use of their time, and that merging the two committees does this. Proposition: a. We propose that the Climate Change and Sustainability Committee and the Economy and Infrastructure Committee be merged, with the business of the former being moved into the latter, and the former be dissolved. The new name of the committee would be the Economy, Infrastructure, Climate and Sustainability Committee. b. We propose that a standard agenda item is created within the new Committee's agenda which specifically reviews the climate impact of decisions taken by the committee. The committee to review and decide upon climate change issues across the Council and also for matters relating to climate change that cannot be dealt with by a service committee. c. We propose that one of the existing Vice-Conveners of the Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee and the Learning and Families Committee takes responsibility for leading on matters of climate change for that particular service and a standard agenda item be created on each of those committees for climate change matters relating to that service. This will provide political oversight and will build climate change matters into every service committee.
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d. We propose that 3 members of the Perth and Kinross Climate Change Commission (PKCCC) attend the new committee as non-voting members on a rotating basis, with 1 member under the age of 18 wherever possible. e. We reaffirm the PKC commitment to achieving a 75% reduction in emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero by no later than 2045. We believe that the above propositions enable us to achieve that, in the most efficient manner possible.