Minutes:
The Council had before it a Notice of Motion set out in the agenda papers standing in the names of Cllr Mel Allcott, Cllr Josh Robinson, Cllr Jack Satterthwaite, Cllr Lynn Denham, Cllr Richard Udall, and Cllr Dan Boatright.
The motion was moved by Cllr Mel Allcott and seconded by Cllr Richard Udall who both spoke in favour of it, and Council agreed to deal with it on the day.
The following amendment was moved by Cllr Tony Miller and seconded by Cllr Emma Marshall and accepted as an alteration by the mover and seconder of the motion which therefore became the substantive motion:
“Council welcomes the focus of the new Environment Act 2021 (the 2021 Act) on Biodiversity which updates and strengthens the existing Biodiversity Duty on public bodies (including local authorities) contained in the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 (NERC Act) and commits to doing the following:
• In compliance with, and subject to, the requirements of the Act, produce a Local Nature Recovery Strategy (the Strategy) which will set out the priorities for protection and enhancement of biodiversity within the area covered by it, key habitats and geographical locations of focus.
• Work with partners to review and update all existing relevant strategies.
• Expand the mandate of the existing Member Advisory Group [on Low Carbon/Net Zero] to include biodiversity and assist with any future revision of the Strategy and report annually on actions taken.”
In the ensuing debate, the following points were made:
· The protection and enhancement of Biodiversity was vital for our future. This was highlighted by the approximately a million species of animals and plants currently threatened with extinction. However, it was not too late to make a difference at all levels of government
· The Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Environment commented that the Council already had a Biodiversity Action Plan in place with a vision and a set of objectives up to 2028. The word “emergency” had been removed from the original motion because it was recognised that nature needed to develop. In addition, the proposals set out in the Motion formed part of the existing work of the Council (for example the Green Infrastructure Strategy was the subject of a review for completion in 2022). This work would take time to complete. The Member Advisory Group [on Low Carbon/Net Zero] was the appropriate forum to take this issue forward. The Cabinet Member then set out the biodiversity measures that the Council had already adopted
· It was clear that tackling climate change and biodiversity losses were interlinked and therefore it was appropriate to expand the mandate of the existing Member Advisory Group [on Low Carbon/Net Zero] to include biodiversity. The establishment of two separate Advisory Groups would add an unnecessary layer of complexity. A single group was a far more expedient way of addressing these time-sensitive issues. A holistic approach was required which worked across all sectors of government with a green thread running through all council policies. The Council would seek to meet the targets of the Environment Act over the next 7 years
· It was disappointing that the word “emergency“ had been removed from the motion because there were considerable immediate pressures on the varied natural habitats in Worcestershire
· A recent report had found that none of the country’s rivers were pollution free and therefore every effort should be made to address this biodiversity emergency
· There was a commitment within the Environment Act to stop the decline in Biodiversity within the next 8 years. A long and sustained approach was required to tackle the issue
· The Council should always have the aim of a net reduction in carbon alongside a net gain in biodiversity running through all its policies
· As the Council had accepted that there was a climate emergency, it made sense to accept that there was an ecological emergency. Actions to support biodiversity had an additional benefit of storing carbon to help to address climate change. The Council had taken action to support biodiversity but more action was needed now. An ecological emergency strategy was required to set out a way forward to achieve a wildlife-rich, ecological resilient county. The Low Carbon/Net Zero Group was well placed to deal with the matter but needed the involvement of all councillors. Efforts to tackle these issues needed to be at the heart of the work of the Council
· Ecological systems could be irreparably damaged before the damage was visibly obvious. It was important to bear this in mind when addressing the more visually obvious signs of ecological decline.
On being put to the vote, the substantive motion which was agreed unanimously.
RESOLVED: “Council welcomes the focus of the new Environment Act 2021 (the 2021 Act) on Biodiversity which updates and strengthens the existing Biodiversity Duty on public bodies (including local authorities) contained in the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 (NERC Act) and commits to doing the following:
• In compliance with, and subject to, the requirements of the Act, produce a Local Nature Recovery Strategy (the Strategy) which will set out the priorities for protection and enhancement of biodiversity within the area covered by it, key habitats and geographical locations of focus.
• Work with partners to review and update all existing relevant strategies.
• Expand the mandate of the existing Member Advisory Group [on Low Carbon/Net Zero] to include biodiversity and assist with any future revision of the Strategy and report annually on actions taken.”