Decision:
The Council:
 NOTED the actions taken to date in respect of Shetland Islands
Council’s response to Climate Change, through the existing
Carbon Management Plan, and associated activity.
 CONSIDERED the information provided in the Climate Change,
Strategic Outline Programme (Appendix 1) and the Climate
Change Programme Initiation Documentation (Appendix 2) and
COMMENTED on these documents.
 ENDORSED the objectives and Critical Success Factors set out
in the Strategic Outline Programme (Appendix 1) and
Programme Initiation Documentation (Appendix 2), and in
particular confirmed:
o The need for shared action across all levels of government,
businesses, communities and individuals to address the risks
presented by Climate Change
o That Shetland Islands Council will adopt a proactive and
collaborative approach to Climate Change, emphasising
planned partnership action, with the Council providing
leadership on behalf of the Shetland community
o The critical need for all plans and actions to recognise current
inequalities, which result in Shetland residents experiencing
some of the highest levels of fuel poverty and transport costs
in the United Kingdom; and to ensure Just Transition solutions
address these energy affordability problems, as well as
reducing emissions
o The significant number of jobs in Shetland involved in the
energy sector; and the importance that Just Transition
solutions also recognise the need for employment transition in
communities such as ours, as well as reducing emissions
 ENDORSED the initial governance arrangements set out in that
Strategic Outline Programme (Appendix 1) and Programme
Initiation Document (Appendix 2); through the Chief Executive,
the Council’s Corporate Management Team and the Council’s
senior political office bearers.
 ENDORSED that the continuing work of the Carbon
Management Plan should be built upon through:
o the continuation, and where possible, the acceleration of
current energy efficiency, energy conversion, waste reduction
and waste reuse initiatives, internally within the Council, and
across the Shetland community
o the review and analysis of key Council and Partnership Plans
and strategies for recommended critical path Climate Change
actions
o the further development of an integrated Shetland Climate
Change Action Plan which co-ordinates activity
o the reporting of recommendations from the Shetland Climate
Change Action Plan to Shetland Islands Council in line with
the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan which is
anticipated in March / April 2020, and periodically thereafter
 ENDORSED a review of guidance for the Environmental
Implications section of committee reports to clarify the need to
report Climate Change implications clearly.
 APPROVED the funding requirement at paragraph 6.5 from the
Council’s Change Fund and ENDORSED a review of the
arrangements for the Council’s Change Fund to understand how
the Change Fund can best be utilised to support this matter.
 THANKED Shetland Climate Action for their petition lodged with
the Council on 3 October 2019 (pages 1 – 4 attached as
Appendix 3 – full petition listing all signatories is available to
Members upon request). The Council has also had informal
representations on this issue, particularly from young people and
environmental groups, but also from individual constituents and
community councils. The content of the petition, and other
representations, align with much of the Climate Change work
that the Council has embarked on, and the further actions
recommended in this Strategic Outline Programme (Appendix 1).
Further information on that alignment is set out in 4.12 – 4.17 of
this report.
 NOTED that local emission reduction targets, for the Council
estate and services, and for Shetland as a whole, will be
evaluated as an early activity within the Programme, and be
reported to Shetland Islands Council. This review and
establishment of local targets will fully involve agency,
commercial and community partners.
The Council AGREED that as a Council, it recognised the global
climate emergency. The evidence is irrefutable and the science is
clear and action is required. The Council must demonstrate
community leadership and must act and engage with the community
to ensure that Shetland can and does play its fair and just role in
tackling this global emergency.

Link to all papers.