Agenda and minutes

To note apologies for absence and confirm the quorum of 11 members is met.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Amanda Parsons-Hulse and Ian Cuthbertson.

The meeting was confirmed as quorate, with 12 members present out of 11 needed for quorum.

There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests.

There were no items requiring the exclusion of the press and public.

Resolved:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 22 September 2022 be approved.

The Committee received a verbal update from the Chair. The Chair addressed his deputising as chair for the meeting.

Resolved:  That the Chair’s verbal update be noted.

The Committee received a report which updated members on the Combined Authority’s Decarbonisation programme, including an overview of the work pertaining to the carbon impact assessment. The Committee also received further detail verbally on appendices A and C of the Mott MacDonald report, linked but not included in the agenda pack.

Net Zero Targets and Carbon Impact Assessments:

·       The net zero targets are different at different levels (WYCA 2038, Leeds City Council 2030, and National Government 2050) but all a common methodology for carbon impact assessment (CIA), across all schemes.

·       The CA and the five authorities are attempting to align all carbon neutral work, despite the differences in targets.

·       These are carried out by the scheme promoters and included in business cases at the appropriate decision point in the assurance process. The early stage of assessment is qualitative, in the second stage when the scheme if further developed the carbon emissions can then be quantified and confirmed.

·       Concerns were expressed that the CIAs in the Mott Macdonald report appeared to show that carbon emissions had not been reduced to date.

·       Officers reported many of the assessments did not consider things such as “induced impact traffic” that would have shown lower traffic and emissions over time.

·       Officers confirmed that, according to analysis, the Combined Authority was on target to achieve the 2030 target – though a lot of work is still needed between then and now.

·       The CA’s Climate & Environment Committee is responsible for monitoring progress on net-zero targets and scrutiny can also be provided sight of these reports.

·       Scrutiny members requested further information and data in future, for closer analysis by members, so they can see the challenges and progress areas for themselves, including data regarding the current emissions from the transport sector, the projections to 2030 as a result of policies and when the pathway will be decided.

Behaviour Change & Young People:

·       In addition to work undergone by local authorities and the national government, every person in the region would ultimately have to be a part of any long-term reduction in carbon emissions through changed habits.

·       The scrutiny committee had previously discussed behaviour change principles, such as gamification, last year and some of these are now in development at the CA as part of wider work, officers confirmed.

·       Further information on this, building on the committee’s previous discussions, can be shared, and revisited at a future date.

Bus Service Quality and Transport Emissions:

·       Transport, roads, and cars is one of the biggest emitters of carbon in the region, at nearly half of all emissions.

·       A reliable bus service which encourages people to use it is vital to reaching decarbonisation targets.

·       Despite Combined Authority initiatives subsidising bus travel, as long as services remaining unreliable or are reduced on certain routes, patronage will not rise to the level needed to meet net zero targets.

·       Bus services are still struggling and facing persistent issues with workforce and reduced patronage which has not been replaced following the pandemic.

·       Other historic structural challenges in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

The Committee noted the Work programme for 2022/23. Members discussed the Mayor’s Question Time (MQT), including the MQT Planning workshop scheduled for 20 December 2022, and reiterated the request made in the previous item for further information and sight of net-zero related activity. Members also discussed an intention to oversee and monitor the work of the main Transport Committee more closely in future.

Resolved:  That the appended 2022/23 Work Programme be approved.