1. Targeting net zero by 2030
Risk Title and Description
Target to reduce City Council carbon emissions to ‘net zero’ by 2030.
Service: All City Council Departments
Date identified: 13 June 2022
Owner: Executive
Target implementation date: 2030
Potential Causes:
- Funding constraints and scope of grants
- Ineffective data monitoring & methodology
- Change in Strategic Priorities
- Lack of understanding of climate emergency and net zero ambition
- Services unwilling or lacking capacity to support
- Availability of suitable specialist electric vehicle fleet
- Lack of technological advancement
- Growth in activity levels increasing emissions
- Buying or building new buildings/property
- Distribution Network Operator (National Grid) constraints can restrict delivery of decarbonisation projects
Potential Impacts:
- Not achieving Strategic Priority of Net Zero Carbon City
- Reputational risk and damage
- Carbon emissions not decreasing
- Services being under the spot light as high carbon emitters
- Greater reliance on offsetting to meet targets
- High spend to achieve aggressive carbon reduction methods
Existing Mitigations & Control
What has been done to control the risk?
- Establishment of Net Zero Team
- Regular engagement with service leads on measures needed to reduce carbon emissions
- Engagement with South West Centre for Energy and Environment (SWEEG) to establish improved data and changes required to reduce carbon emissions including Corporate Carbon Footprint. As a result of improved data collection and interpretation the City Council's carbon emissions with annual inventory reporting. Emissions for 2022/23 were 46,495 tCO2e, which represents a reduction of 1,959 tCO2e (4%) on the previous year.
- Engagement with the Devon Climate Emergency and LA partners
- Networking nationally to learn best practice with industry and other public organisations
- Carbon Literacy training roll out programme in place delivering training to a total 276 staff and councillors so far, Carbon Literate Organisation Bronze standard achieved
- Monitoring legislative changes to support a reduction in carbon emissions
- Regular consultation with Portfolio Holder for Climate and Ecological Change
- Cultural change assisted by open and transparent communications, including with Net Zero Ambassadors, Officers, Service areas and Cllrs
- News items regularly posted in City Newsletter and website to promote staff awareness
- Dissemination of the Water Lane Smart Grid and Storage Project locally and nationally
- Monitoring of grant opportunities to support decarbonisation projects
- Changes to staff induction checklist include Green Travel options for staff and mandatory requirement to sign up to Carbon Literacy training
Further Mitigations & Controls to be put into place
- Review targets and continue to update and revise carbon reduction plan
- Continue to deliver regular updates and presentations to Audit & Governance on the Risk Register, Carbon Footprint and implementing of the City Council Carbon Reduction Plan
- Budget to support Net Zero Data Support Officer and Sustainability Project Officer will end in March 2026. Contracts need to be extended, or this will result in failure to deliver the Carbon Reduction Plan and Net Zero targets
- Net Zero Ambassador meetings to resume after completion of new Council management restructure, to share best practice and support service changes.
- Costed organisational carbon descent report completed by the Centre for Energy and Environment to be presented to Executive in June with a revised carbon reduction plan to deliver Net Zero
- Research underway to improve integration of net zero ambition into all Council decisions, looking at models such as Doughnut Economics
- Improved recycling signage to be implemented in Council buildings as part of wider waste recycling campaign
Notes
Costed organisational carbon descent report to be presented at Executive in June 2025
Risk scores
| Risk | Score |
| Likelihood | 4 |
| Impact | 4 |
| Risk score | 16 |
| Risk | Score |
| Likelihood | 3 |
| Impact | 4 |
| Risk score | 12 |