Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Jeapes and Weekes.

If you have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest* in an item of business:

§  if it is not yet on the council’s register, you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent;

§  you may choose to declare a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest that is already in the register in the interests of openness and transparency. 

In both the above cases, you must leave the room without participating in discussion of the item.

If you have a personal interest in an item of business and you intend to speak or vote on the item you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent but you may participate in the discussion and vote on the item.

*(a)   Employment, etc - Any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain.

(b)     Sponsorship - Any payment or other financial benefit in respect of your expenses in carrying out duties as a member, or of your election; including from a trade union.

(c)  Contracts - Any current contract for goods, services or works, between  
 you or your partner (or a body in which one of you has a beneficial
 interest) and the council.

(d)   Land - Any beneficial interest in land which is within the council’s area.

(e)   Licences- Any licence to occupy land in the council’s area for a month
   or longer.

(f)    Corporate tenancies - Any tenancy between the council and a body
   in which you or your partner have a beneficial interest.

 (g)   Securities - Any beneficial interest in securities of a body which has a place of business or land in the council’s area, if the total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body or of any one class of its issued share capital. 

This applies to all members present at the meeting.

No Declarations were made

The Chair introduced the meeting and set out the Agenda.

The first presentation was from The Executive Member for Environment and Transport, they outlined some key achievements of the Council on reaching the Net Zero Carbon 2030 goal. These included, the decarbonisation of the Waste and Recycling Centre, this had now been fully de-gassed. An increase in Green Skills work which was fundamental to our ability to deliver climate action and support our local economy. There had been many Changes to our streets and creation of new spaces for greening; outside space is important for our residents’ wellbeing and important in terms of our ability to adapt to a warming climate, the 900 trees planted so far this year help us provide cool corridors and shade in the borough. As well as helping the climate crises these achievements also provided jobs and encouraged a more active lifestyle. The council’s recent work with public health has provided a clear perspective on the impact that climate change can have in protecting people’s wellbeing. 

Since declaring a climate emergency in 2019 and setting out Vision 2030 the council has been on a huge journey, scoping and delivering projects to support the ambition for a net zero carbon borough. Whilst adaptation was always a part of Vision 2030, the urgency of this has become increasingly clear.  However, challenges remain, with Islington being 1 of 6 boroughs most susceptible to climate change urgent government support was needed. The council is increasing engagement, through the various workshops last year and with the introduction of the Islington Climate Panel this year.  

The Director of Climate Change and Transport gave a presentation outlining how the Council plans to build a climate resilient Islington. In 2019, Islington Council declared a Climate Emergency, signalling a commitment to addressing the urgent challenges of climate change. By 2020, the council outlined its ambitious 'Vision 2030' aimed at achieving a Net Zero Carbon (NZC) Islington by 2030. The following year, in 2021, a dedicated NZC team was established, along with the implementation of a structured workstream delivery framework. As the program progressed into 2022, significant strides were made in delivering various initiatives, with progress reported regularly through Islington's scrutiny process. By 2023, the focus shifted to ongoing program delivery and review, with heightened emphasis on engagement, including the establishment of the Islington Climate Panel to gather residents' perspectives on climate change impacts. Efforts also intensified to understand and address climate vulnerability factors, including individual, social, and environmental aspects. This involved working closely with Public Health to assess the potential impact of climate change on communities, reviewing strategies for adaptation interventions, and continuing efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Additionally, launching the Islington Climate Panel aimed to capture lived experiences and concerns regarding climate change, particularly among vulnerable residents, highlighting the council's commitment to tackling inequalities and fostering resilience in the face of climate challenges.

In the question-and-answer session, concerns were raised about the new BREEAM requirement as a condition of planning applications. It  ...  view the full minutes text for item 73.