Senior councillors on City of York Council's Executive Committee have considered three major strategies for the city – Climate Change, the Economy, and Health and Wellbeing - and approved a climate change action plan, at a meeting last night (22 November).
This follows an extensive 18-month programme of engagement. Through its ‘Our Big Conversation’ engagement programme, stakeholder roundtable workshops, focus groups and sessions in Explore York, the council asked residents, businesses and communities for their thoughts on what they want York to look like in 10 years, focusing on three major strategic challenges- reaching net zero by 2030, strengthening the economy post covid and improving the health and wellbeing of residents. Thousands of comments were received, which have been represented in the final strategies.
By considering the strategies together, Executive have recognised the considerable co-benefits that can be delivered for the city in the long term through the three strategies, for example increasing green jobs or improving household insulation could improve household incomes or reduce monthly energy bills.
The Climate Change Action Plan sets out City of York Council’s commitment to tackling climate change to meet its ambition for net zero and climate resilience by 2030. The plan contains an indicative list of 160 potential actions, 58 of which the Council is already progressing, and includes improvements in housing, transport and energy to make the Council and city more sustainable. The Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan was recently recognised by the internationally renowned Climate Disclosure Project, who highlighted the council as one of 122 cities worldwide leaders in climate change and climate action.
Councillor Keith Aspden, Leader of City of York Council said: “Thank you to everybody who took part in ‘Our Big Conversation’- a city-wide discussion about some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing York.
“The country and the city are experiencing significant change. Difficult international issues, emerging from the pandemic, the impact of Brexit, responding to the war in Ukraine, the rising cost of fuel and energy, adapting to ever increasing extreme weather events - we are facing issues not experienced for generations, if at all. Now more than ever we need certainty about the direction for the future to help us tackle local challenges and make best use of York’s opportunities.
“These strategies and the climate change action plan set out our shared ambitions for the city, which by working with partners, communities and residents across the city will make the biggest difference to improving people’s lives and making York the best place to live in, work and visit.”
Councillor Andy D’Agorne, Deputy Leader of City of York Council said: “We welcome the thousands of comments we have received, which have informed the ten-year strategies and climate change action plan.
“By working with people and organisations across the city to implement these strategies and action plans we can rise to the challenge of achieving zero net carbon by 2030, reducing health inequalities across the city and ensure York becomes one of the top 25% of the UKs local economies.
“Work to achieve net zero has been underway for a while and the action plan, which will be reviewed annually, sets out a range of measures to reduce the city’s carbon footprint and make sure our environment is protected for future generations to enjoy.”
Find out more: Strategies policies and plans – City of York Council
The Executive meeting took place on Tuesday 22 November and the meeting can be viewed at www.york.gov.uk/webcasts. The agenda and associated reports for the meeting can be viewed at https://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=733&MId=13292. The strategies will now be discussed at a meeting of Full Council on 15 December 2022.
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