TheTransition Director has submitted a reportto approve parameters and approach for the procurement of energy and water for the period period 1 October 2020 to 30 September 2024 with a view to Oxford City Council becoming a net zero carbon council in terms of energy usage.

Recommendations: That Cabinet resolves to:

1. Approve the procurement strategy of seeking the purchase of certified renewable electricity and renewable gas supplies;

2. Authorise officers to explore options to better stimulate investment in new local renewable energy generation through a corporate Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) approach for the council’s energy supplies; 

3. Approve (subject to 2 above) the use of the Kent County Council energy procurement framework via its trading arm LASER (the specialist public sector energy buying organisation) for up to a further four years (2020-2024) to procure the Council’s energy and water contracts from October 2020;

4. Approve the continuation of the energy purchasing approach - a flexible contract for larger electricity and gas supplies, and a fixed term fixed price contract for smaller energy consuming sites and water supplies;

5. Approve the purchase of appropriate offset products to mitigate the impact of vehicle fuel purchase;

6. Note the continuing  impact of the Council’s Carbon Reduction Programme in reducing the need for offsetting in the future and the overall energy and fuel requirements to support the council’s operation; and

7. Note that with the combination of the procurement of renewable energy, certified and verifiable offsetting of fuel impacts and a programme to reduce energy consumption in place the Council can rightly claim to be Net Zero in terms of Green House gases associated with its operations.

The Transition Director had submitted report to approve parameters and approach for the procurement of energy and water for the period period 1 October 2020 to 30 September 2024 with a view to Oxford City Council becoming a net zero carbon council in terms of energy usage.

Councillor Tom Hayes, Cabinet Member for Zero Carbon Oxford, introduced the report, which represented just one very tangible outcome  of the Council’s declaration of a climate emergency a year previously and the ambition expressed by the Citizens’ Assembly.  It provided a good example of  looking at what the Council already does  with fresh eyes and how it might be done differently. 

The Chair thanked all those involved with this important strand of work for the Council.

Cabinet resolved, subject to the necessary budgetary provision being agreed at the Council meeting on 13 February, to:

1. Approve the procurement strategy of seeking the purchase of certified renewable electricity and renewable gas supplies;

2. Authorise officers to explore options to better stimulate investment in new local renewable energy generation through a corporate Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) approach for the council’s energy supplies; 

3. Approve (subject to 2 above) the use of the Kent County Council energy procurement framework via its trading arm LASER (the specialist public sector energy buying organisation) for up to a further four years (2020-2024) to procure the Council’s energy and water contracts from October 2020;

4. Approve the continuation of the energy purchasing approach - a flexible contract for larger electricity and gas supplies, and a fixed term fixed price contract for smaller energy consuming sites and water supplies;

5. Approve the purchase of appropriate offset products to mitigate the impact of vehicle fuel purchase;

6. Note the continuing  impact of the Council’s Carbon Reduction Programme in reducing the need for offsetting in the future and the overall energy and fuel requirements to support the council’s operation; and

7. Note that with the combination of the procurement of renewable energy, certified and verifiable offsetting of fuel impacts and a programme to reduce energy consumption in place the Council can rightly claim to be Net Zero in terms of Green House gases associated with its operations.