Meetings

The Commissioner with the portfolio for sustainable development presented the report on the sustainability performance of the Senedd estate and operations over the past year.

The report highlighted key environmental achievements, performance against targets including the second year of the Carbon Neutral Strategy, use of utilities, and a summary of improvements planned for the forthcoming financial year. 

Commissioners discussed energy saving measures and suggested additional data might usefully be collected in relation to EV travel.

Commissioners agreed to publish the report subject to any minor corrections or edits, and to provide the report to the Finance Committee regarding their recommendation relating to information about energy saving.

Commissioners noted the update on current sustainability matters and initiatives.

Commissioners agreed the report on the sustainability performance of the Senedd estate and operations over the past year, subject to minor edits.

The report highlighted key environmental achievements, performance against targets including the first year of the Carbon Neutral Strategy, use of utilities, and a summary of improvements planned for the forthcoming financial year. 

Commissioners discussed beginning to change the terminology used when referring to low emissions and no emissions, particularly in the context of emerging technology and reflected that these developments could also be considered in relation to procurement.

Commissioners noted information about plans to introduce a Salary Sacrifice Scheme for electric vehicles, and that the Remuneration Board would be informed of the availability of the scheme in order that they may consider any issues that would relate to Members’ pay and allowances.

Commissioners discussed a proposed strategy outlining activities, investment, and behavioural change that would be required for the organisation to reach net carbon neutrality by 2030.

Commissioners asked questions relating to travel and transport and to greening spaces on the estate, suggesting  that involving local communities could be a positive approach.

Commissioners agreed the Carbon Neutral Strategy, and that it should be published.

Commissioners agreed the Sustainability Annual Report 2019-20 for publication.

The report on the sustainability performance of the Senedd estate and operations over the past year highlighted key environmental achievements, performance against targets, use of utilities, the organisation’s carbon footprint and use of finite resources. Commissioners also considered improvements made to both the estate and methods of operation and agreed improvements planned for the forthcoming financial year.

Commissioners agreed a set of principles, targets and actions to form the basis of the new carbon reduction strategy from 2021 to 2030.

Commissioners discussed the actions and recommendations and identified that as the strategy is finalised there should be an increased focus on changing culture and behaviours . They also agreed to recognise, as a Corporate Body, that a climate emergency exists.

Commissioners agreed the Annual Environmental Report 2017-18, which reports on environmental performance for the year, as well as progress towards the Assembly’s key sustainability objectives. Commissioners discussed recent achievements in removing single-use plastics and the provision of charging points for electric cars on the Commission estate. They agreed that the finalised report should be published.

Commissioners agreed the 2016-17 Annual Environmental Report. It covered the second year of the Commission’s five-year sustainability plan, and Commissioners were supportive of achievements to date.

Management Board welcomed Nerys Evans to the meeting to present a draft of the tenth Annual Environmental Report. It demonstrated a continuing trend of reducing the Assembly’s environmental impacts with good progress on the current five-year sustainability plan towards the 2021 targets.

The focus in the period had been on better monitoring and analysis to identify opportunities to make efficiency savings. Benchmarking was an essential part of the process and work would continue in 2017-18 to benchmark with the other devolved parliaments. It was likely that the Assembly would move to ISO 14001 environmental certification.

The Board recognised that it was necessary to balance the cost of reaching reduction targets with making improvements in sustainability and, currently, the Estates and Facilities Management work programme was focussed on improvements through updating or replacing older equipment to more efficient appliances as they reach end of life; benchmarking; controls and effective housekeeping.  

Management Board commented on the draft and made recommendations including:

·                reviewing how the Assembly equates with other comparable organisations, for example Welsh Government, in relation to the use of vehicles; and

·                clarifying the increase in water usage for the period as being related to an increase in staff and visitors.

The Board thanked Matthew Jones for his work on preparing the Report, which would be presented to the Commission on 17 July

Commissioners considered a report that provided a summary of our key achievements in respect of the corporate targets and that concluded the Carbon Management Strategy. Commissioners welcomed the detail about the significant reductions in carbon emissions which have been delivered through this strategy. The Commission plans to build on this achievement in coming years through the Energy Reduction Route Map they agreed last year. 

Commissioners commended the report and the work that had been done to achieve such success, particularly highlighting the recent award for the Most Sustainable Public Sector Organisation in Government across the UK. They agreed the report should be published on the Commission’s sustainability webpage.

The Board received the final report of the five-year plan supporting the Carbon Management Strategy approved in 2009. The report provided a summary of progress made in 2013-14, together with overall achievements in relation to the corporate targets. This would be presented to the Commission meeting on 29 January for them to note key performance achievements and the approved strategy for the following five years.

Management Board recommended minor improvements to the paper to help set the context and acknowledge achievements without being overly applauding.

Action: include paragraph to seek a mandate from Commissioners for the Assembly to promotion its success on carbon management externally and invite organisations in to see how it was done.

paper 2

Since 2008-09 the Assembly Commission had successfully achieved a 34% reduction in energy emissions against the challenging target of a 40% reduction by 2015, demonstrating excellent performance compared with the rest of the public sector in Wales.

To maintain this momentum and identify areas where activity should focused in forthcoming years technical and specialist support had been provided by Arup and the Carbon Trust. A new carbon reduction routemap had been developed which would, if implemented, enable the Commission to achieve a further 30% reduction (on the 2012-13 base line) in emissions by 2021. The proposed routemap included:

-       Actions that would enable the Commission to continue its successful programme of energy emission reductions;

-       A basis for developing a new Carbon Management Strategy that would be in place from 2015 and would include a range of other targets including waste, water, and travel;

-       Detailed analysis of energy use and emissions which provided a sound basis for developing a challenging but achievable plan to drive energy emissions down further whilst ensuring a comfortable working environment for all;

-       Good housekeeping and Invest to Save projects focusing on efficiency and improved technology, many of which would give an immediate payback, with a maximum of 8.5 year payback for others;

-       Detailed analysis of the financial savings to be gained as a result of the energy efficiency interventions.

Although the use of renewable technologies had been explored, the estimated payback of more than 10 years meant that this was not a viable option at present. It was recommended that further analysis in this area be explored at the appropriate time.

Commissioners endorsed the routemap, which would be implemented from within existing sustainability and project budgets. Many of the actions identified were linked to the necessary replacement of equipment which is at the end of its operational life, providing opportunities for more efficient and sustainable replacements.

paper 2

The paper updated Commissioners on progress since the Commission had adopted its carbon management strategy and action plan for becoming a carbon neutral Assembly in 2009.

Commissioners noted that significant progress had been made without the need for substantial investment, which was particularly encouraging given external events that had impacted performance in this area (the referendum and election) and unpredictable weather.

Despite not meeting the energy reduction target for 2012-13 a cumulative reduction of 22% had been achieved. However, Commissioners recognised that it was unlikely that the aspirational goal of 40% reduction in energy emissions by 2015 would be achieved without investment to improve resilience and efficiency in light of unpredictable weather conditions, rising energy costs and potential future volatility of supply.

Commissioners noted that it was important to ensure a balanced approach to optimising the efficiency of our buildings with a comfortable working environment for all occupants. They also expressed some reservations about carbon insetting as a future option. Commissioners suggested that Assembly Members would welcome advice and support on improving sustainability in their constituency offices, for example information on the Green Dragon award.

A feasibility study was underway which would identify future options. Commissioners noted that expenditure was likely to be necessary to achieve the sustainability targets but commented that this would have to be delivered within planned budgets. It was agreed that proposals for investment identified by the study would be considered by the Investment Board and the Commission in the new year.

Paper 2

Peter Black introduced the paper on the Assembly’s progress towards meeting its Carbon Management strategy noting that there had been significant success to date.  The Commission noted the action taken and those planned for the future.  It was agreed that the further actions listed at Table C should be pursued with the exception of the pilot natural ventilation project.  The Commission suggested that the sensors and lighting in certain areas of the building and under-croft car park should be more sensitive and reactive to ensure the health and safety of visitors and building occupants.  Mike Snook was asked to consider the temperature fluctuations in Ty Hywel and the Senedd at different times of the year and to more closely monitor usage of the air conditioning.  It was agreed that any future carbon reduction plans would be pursued sensitively and communicated appropriately to ensure that all occupants were able to carry out their business functions effectively.

In November 2009 the last Commission agreed a Carbon Management strategy. This included an ambition to reduce annual emissions by 8 per cent for energy and 3 per cent annual for business travel, and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2015.

The Commission welcomed the 11.1 per cent reduction in energy emissions that had achieved in Year 2 across the Assembly estate, equating to savings of 182 tonnes of carbon and £50,000 in costs. Overall, emissions have been reduced by 19 per cent against a target of 40 per cent by 2015.

Commissioners noted the good progress to date and reaffirmed its commitment to the Carbon Management strategy in order to maintain the Assembly’s status as a leading parliamentary body on sustainability issues, and agreed in principle to proceed with a pilot project to replace the windows in Tŷ Hywel with better designed, part-automated models to support efficient natural ventilation.

Action: Officials to develop a detailed costing of the pilot project for approval by Management Board.