FOI Request - Climate Emergency
Request - 101003298751
1. On 26th June 2019 Moray Council declared a 'Climate Emergency'. What is the council's definition of a 'Climate Emergency'?
2. Please disclose the evidence, data, correspondence or other documents in support of the council's decision to declare a 'Climate Emergency'.
3. Please disclose a list of policies that have been introduced as a consequence of the 'Climate Emergency'.
4. Please disclose a list of strategic 'Climate Emergency' partners
Response 16-05-2023
1. A situation in which urgent action is required to reduce or halt climate change and avoid potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from it.
2. Following a search of council records we can confirm this information is not held. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held. The decision to declare a climate emergency was taken by councillors following a motion brought by councillors Bremner and Laing, see the minute of meeting 27th June 2019.
As such, any correspondence or documents would have been held by those two previous councillors rather than council staff.
3. Moray Council’s Climate Change Strategy 2020-2030 and the approach to meeting the council’s goal as set out in the Route Map to Net Zero are publicly available on our website. http://www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_136444.html .This information is therefore exempt under section 25 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, information otherwise accessible.
An update to the Route Map was approved by committee on 2 May 2023 and will replace the 2022 version on the website in due course. In the meantime the related documents can be viewed on the council’s committee pages (see item 6c in the supplementary agenda). https://moray.cmis.uk.com/moray/CouncilandGovernance/Meetings/tabid/70/ctl/ViewMeetingPublic/mid/397/Meeting/1925/Committee/9/SelectedTab/Documents/Default.aspx
The council is working to embed climate action across the organisation so many policies have been influenced by the Climate Change Strategy and wider government policy, but not introduced as a direct consequence. Some of the most relevant documents that may be of interest are listed below.
- Moray Hydrogen Strategy - https://moray.cmis.uk.com/moray/Document.ashx?czJKcaeAi5tUFL1DTL2UE4zNRBcoShgo=KYKYiJZ3GAbnskbEkQ4vZtmGT0AmNRE1x3b83WxGcdbgtJiRjEFYZA%3d%3d&rUzwRPf%2bZ3zd4E7Ikn8Lyw%3d%3d=pwRE6AGJFLDNlh225F5QMaQWCtPHwdhUfCZ%2fLUQzgA2uL5jNRG4jdQ%3d%3d&mCTIbCubSFfXsDGW9IXnlg%3d%3d=hFflUdN3100%3d&kCx1AnS9%2fpWZQ40DXFvdEw%3d%3d=hFflUdN3100%3d&uJovDxwdjMPoYv%2bAJvYtyA%3d%3d=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&FgPlIEJYlotS%2bYGoBi5olA%3d%3d=NHdURQburHA%3d&d9Qjj0ag1Pd993jsyOJqFvmyB7X0CSQK=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&WGewmoAfeNR9xqBux0r1Q8Za60lavYmz=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&WGewmoAfeNQ16B2MHuCpMRKZMwaG1PaO=ctNJFf55vVA%3d
- Procurement Strategy 2021/23 - http://www.moray.gov.uk/downloads/file70120.pdf
- Active Travel Strategy 2022-2027 - http://www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_139797.html
- National Planning Framework 4 - https://moray.cmis.uk.com/moray/Document.ashx?czJKcaeAi5tUFL1DTL2UE4zNRBcoShgo=mOpTvKuoM0FhCldvsBIXOf6R%2b2dTHjGhg5ywfT8z2ddS1qFDBPFf1w%3d%3d&rUzwRPf%2bZ3zd4E7Ikn8Lyw%3d%3d=pwRE6AGJFLDNlh225F5QMaQWCtPHwdhUfCZ%2fLUQzgA2uL5jNRG4jdQ%3d%3d&mCTIbCubSFfXsDGW9IXnlg%3d%3d=hFflUdN3100%3d&kCx1AnS9%2fpWZQ40DXFvdEw%3d%3d=hFflUdN3100%3d&uJovDxwdjMPoYv%2bAJvYtyA%3d%3d=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&FgPlIEJYlotS%2bYGoBi5olA%3d%3d=NHdURQburHA%3d&d9Qjj0ag1Pd993jsyOJqFvmyB7X0CSQK=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&WGewmoAfeNR9xqBux0r1Q8Za60lavYmz=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&WGewmoAfeNQ16B2MHuCpMRKZMwaG1PaO=ctNJFf55vVA%3d
4. The Climate Change Strategy states that the council will work with the Community Planning Partnership to deliver the strategy.