Planned leadership boost to Exeter’s Net Zero ambition backed by Executive
Published: 1 December 2021
Proposals for a senior management officer shake-up to try to deliver on the city's Net Zero Carbon ambitions have been backed by the Council’s Executive.
Members discussed plans for Chief Executive and Growth Director Karime Hassan to work both inside and outside the Council to make inroads into the ambition.
Mr Hassan would work three days a week for the City Council and two days focussing on work with Exeter City Futures, the city's community interest company working collaboratively in the city to help it become carbon neutral.
Cllr Rachel Sutton, Lead Councillor for Net Zero 2030, said she was delighted Executive members backed plans for the Chief Executive to take a leadership role at Exeter City Futures.
Cllr Sutton said: “This is important because our commitment to being Net Zero Carbon by 2030 is front and centre of the City Council’s agenda.
“This will provide a boost and leadership in moving things forward. We are working with our partners to achieve this goal – it’s not just the City Council’s goal, it’s the goal for the entire city.
“Exeter has always been ambitious, and we are absolutely delighted that our key partners in this journey include the major employers, Exeter College, the university, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital Trust and the County Council.
“They all know they have a role to play if we are to achieve our 2030 goal, and this move will give us a big boost on the journey.”
Under the proposals, which will be discuss at full council later this month, Director of Transformation Jo Yelland would support Karime three days a week.
A variety of senior management changes are also proposed in the paper to absorb and deliver the other Council priorities, including delivering on medium term financial plan through Deputy Chief Executive Bindu Arjoon.
The report states: “Net Zero Exeter 2030 is one of the Council's key strategic priorities.
“The Council has declared a Climate Emergency and a degree of urgency needs to be injected into the work in support of this agenda.
“The City Council cannot achieve a Net Zero Exeter on its own, the plan requires the support of partner organisations and a shared endeavour.”
The report highlights a number of priority actions identified in the Net Zero Exeter plan 2030, including:
- 100% of electricity consumed by the city shall be generated from clean sources
- Exeter shall be engaged in multi-authority strategic planning to exploit the maximum potential for renewable generation (solar, wind, geothermal)
- All domestic homes in Exeter shall achieve energy performance ratings of C+ following completion of a widespread programme of retrofit to reduce energy demand and costs
- A programme of domestic retrofit to the highest efficiency standards has been delivered across Council owned properties
- A network of work and healthcare hubs shall exist in Exeter’s travel-to-work area contributing to a reduction in the need to travel into the city for work or health
- Exeter’s bus network shall comprise only Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) Buses and use non-fossil fuels
- All public sector fleet vehicles in Exeter shall be ULEV / non-fossil fuel
- Exeter’s taxi fleet and private hire fleet shall be in the ULEV category / non-fossil fuel
- All private cars in Exeter shall be in the ULEV category
- Exeter shall have a comprehensive network of electric vehicle charging points (including on-street) which supports transition to electric vehicles, with priority for shared vehicles
Read the full report on our website and watch Tuesday night’s Executive meeting.