Here are some highlights from the discussion:

Housing

Over 90% of York housing is privately owned and this accounts for over 27% of the city’s CO2 emissions. The national requirements for energy efficiency in this sector have been downgraded by Rishi Sunak and the Council cannot insist on higher standards.

Transport

A ‘Movement and Place Plan’ will aim to join up services for public transport, active travel, private vehicles and for those with disabilities.

‘The crucial thing is that you're not just dependent on one mode, the car, that you actually have the opportunity to use other modes.’

The Plan is inspired by initiatives on the Continent, for instance in the city of Ghent, and will be taken to the new regional Mayoral Authority, which may put on the table new money and new ideas, e.g., taking buses back into public ownership.

20 mph limit is a ‘tool in the box’.

Disability

The aim is to co-develop policies with all those groups whose voices are not heard.

The Blue Badge ban in the City Centre will be reversed for the New Year. A shuttle bus service will be retained.

Green jobs and young people

There is a Ten-Year Skills Plan and a commitment to build a Green Skills Village. Other initiatives include a Skills Employment Board, Schools Sustainability Network and the University Sustainability Clinic. Other Councils have included Youth Climate Councils in decision making.

Climate strategy

Two aims were: What can we, as a Council, influence and how do we bring everyone else along with us?

More challenging targets are being considered. Scope 3 emissions, the carbon embedded in products and services, are beginning to be included. The City Climate Commission will be relaunched in the New Year to include campaigning groups and a wider range of businesses

Pesticides

The Executive are against the indiscriminate use of quad bikes for spraying. Alternatives to glyphosate, though, are challenging and unweeded pavements can restrict access. An option is for residents to tend pavements and verges, though the Council lacks resources to ‘map’ this.

Environment as a human right

‘If anyone has expertise to share on how we marry all these things together, we would love to hear.’

Only one question that evening prompted spontaneous applause from the audience. This was, ‘Do you think it is feasible for Greens and Labour to work together harmoniously?’

The reply from Councillor Ravilious took the idea one step further.

‘We also want to work with Conservatives and Lib Dems. This goes beyond politics; the climate emergency is too serious and we can't let politics interfere with that.’

The Councillors said they would encourage other Executive members to have meetings of this kind about their portfolios and, on that promising note, the audience disappeared into the night.