Dorset Council is taking significant steps to deliver on its climate commitments, with a series of reports set to be presented to Cabinet this month.
From a refreshed approach to tackling climate change to climate-focussed planning guidance, the reports seek approval to put climate considerations at the heart of council operations and decision-making.
The first report to be considered recommends the adoption of a refreshed Natural Environment, Climate and Ecology Strategy.
The council adopted its current Climate and Ecological Strategy in 2021, setting a clear direction, with realistic and achievable ambitions, to become a carbon-neutral council by 2040 and a carbon-neutral county by 2050.
In recent years, significant progress has been made in both science and national policy relating to climate change. The refreshed strategy aims to reflect these advancements and outline what they mean for the council and Dorset.
This has also been an opportunity to make the council’s approach to tackling climate change more concise, condensing the content of the original strategy and its actions without losing its ambition. It also introduces more robust targets for nature recovery and a greater focus on how Dorset will need to adapt and become more resilient to a changing climate.
Accompanying the refreshed strategy at Cabinet is the recommendation to adopt a new climate impact assessment tool.
This ground-breaking new tool has been developed to help the council better identify and understand the impacts of its decision-making on both the climate and the environment.
By identifying any environmental impacts quickly, we can make sure informed decisions are made on proposals, helping us keep on track to meet climate goals.
And last but certainly not least, the final report being presented to Cabinet seeks to clarify our approach to considering climate change in planning decisions.
Interim guidance and a position statement has been produced by the council to clarify the existing planning policy requirements in relation to planning for the climate and ecological emergency. It provides information on the weight given to climate change in decision making and sets out what we expect from planning applications, given current policy.
Councillor David Walsh, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Planning, said:
“The new Dorset Local Plan will play a key role in delivering sustainable development. But whilst this plan is being developed, it’s important that we make sure we are maximising opportunities to address climate change as new development is brought forward.
“By clarifying our position and providing guidance and checklists, we can help make sure considerations for our environment, climate and ecology are put at the forefront of development here in Dorset.”
Councillor Ray Bryan, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said:
“Since the adoption of our first strategy in 2021, Dorset Council has made tackling climate change and supporting our natural environment a core priority. In this time, we’ve seen council emissions decline by over a quarter.
“But we’ve still got a long way to go, which is why it is crucial that we consider our natural environment, climate and ecology in all that we do.
“The response to COVID-19 showed what can be achieved when we pull together, and we must do that again to achieve a carbon neutral, nature positive, resilient Dorset.”
To find out more about what we are doing to protect the environment and for information on what you can do to help, visit the climate and ecology pages of the Dorset Council website.
I quote from your report above ” the reports seek approval to put climate considerations at the heart of council operations and decision-making.” I trust that it will not replace finance in importance or priority.
A lot of decisions that are good for the climate are also good for tax payers TBF.
E.g. Driving costs society at least 27p per mile (far more than what is collected through driving taxes) so encouraging more people to walk and cycle will save taxpayers in the long run, and lead to a healthier population, which means less strain on health services.
One of the reasons for giving climate considerations a priority on a par with other things such as legally required duties and financial responsibility is that failure to act on the climate emergency will cost the council and Dorset generally huge amounts of money. This is not only the costs associated with the global effects of climate change but also more local costs. For example, Dorset Council has been successful in securing many millions of pounds from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme primarily to make progress on the climate commitments and this has resulted in a very large amount of roof-top PV being put on council controlled buildings, heat pumps being installed in many places and improvement in the building management systems that increase energy efficiency. Even before the soaring energy prices these made sense financially but recent events have magnified the savings from these improvements markedly. Council action to mitigate climate change IS one of the best things it can do to save money whilst maintaining or even improving service levels. The days when renewable energy or energy efficiency could be seen as costly “nice to haves but low priority” are long gone!