1. Net zero by 2030 is too ambitious
Risk Title and Description
Target to reduce City Council carbon emissions to ‘net zero’ by 2030.
Service: Net Zero & Business
Date identified: 13 June 2022
Owner: Net Zero Project Manager
Target implementation date: 2030
Potential Causes:
- Ineffective data monitoring & methodology
- Change in Corporate Priorities
- Lack of understanding of carbon emergency and net zero ambition
- Officers unwilling or with no capacity to engage or make changes to their service
- Lack of technological advancement and financial barriers
- Growth in activity levels increasing scope 3 emissions
- Buying of building new buildings/property
Potential Impacts:
- Not achieving Corporate Priority
- Reputational risk and damage
- Carbon emissions not decreasing
- Services being under the spotlight as high carbon emitters
- Reliance on offsetting
- High spend to achieve aggressive carbon reduction methods
- Lack of funds to reduce carbon emissions
Existing Mitigations & Control
What has been done to control the risk?
- Establishment of Net Zero Team
- Regular engagement with relevant Directors on changes needed to reduce service carbon emissions
- Engagement with Centre for Energy and Environment to establish improved data and changes required to reduce carbon emissions and production of Corporate Carbon Footprint
- Engage with the Devon Climate Emergency team
- Network to learn from best practice with industry and other public organisations
- Net Zero Ambassadors meet on regular basis to share best practice and support service changes
- Carbon Literacy training roll out programme in place delivering training to Net Zero Ambassadors, SMB, OMB, Cllrs and other officers, Carbon Literate Organisation Bronze standard achieved
- Monitoring legislative changes to support a reduction in carbon emissions
- Regular 1-2-1's with Portfolio Holder for Climate and Ecological Crisis
- Be open and transparent with all Net Zero Ambassadors, Officers, Service Areas and Cllrs
- News items regularly posted in City Newsletter and website
- Dissemination of the Water Lane Smart Grid and Storage Project
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
- Contracts of 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 meet Net Zero targets
- Net Zero Ambassadors to be involved with setting annual action plan and to be allocated budget to reduce carbon emissions within service area
- Be open and transparent with all Net Zero Ambassadors, Officers, Service Areas and Cllrs
Notes
Be open and transparent with all Net Zero Ambassadors, Officers, Service Areas, and Councillors.
Risk scores
| Risk | Score |
| Likelihood | 4 |
| Impact | 4 |
| Risk score | 16 |
| Risk | Score |
| Likelihood | 3 |
| Impact | 4 |
| Risk score | 12 |