The Environment, Flooding and Climate Change Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Monday 26 January 2026 to discuss the council's Medium Term Financial Strategy, its Environmental Performance Report for 2024-25, and the Climate Resilience Delivery Plan. Key decisions included noting the council's environmental performance, which showed a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions but a fall in recycling rates, and reviewing the updated Climate Resilience Delivery Plan which shifts focus from carbon reduction to climate adaptation and responding to severe weather events.

Medium Term Financial Strategy 2026/27 - 2029/30

The committee considered the proposed Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for the Environment, Flooding and Climate Change services. The report highlighted a projected budget gap for the council, with a £23 million deficit in the first year, rising to £106 million by the fourth year. For Environment, Flooding and Climate Change Services, the proposed revenue budget for 2026/27 is £1.62 million, with no proposed savings or growth requirements identified for these services over the MTFS period. The capital programme for 2026/27 to 2029/30 includes £4.996 million for flood alleviation and related works. The committee was asked to consider relevant issues as part of the consultation process and make recommendations to the Scrutiny Commission and Cabinet.

Environmental Performance Report 2024-25

The committee reviewed the Environmental Performance Report for 2024-25. Key headlines for Leicestershire County Council included a 9.5% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to the previous year, bringing total emissions down by 76.5% since 2008-09. Electricity use for street lighting decreased by 14.3%, and water consumption fell by 11%. However, office waste rose by 97 tonnes, and the recycling rate fell to 58.6%, below the target of 65.7%. On-site renewable energy generation reached a record 20.7% of total consumption, though still below the 30.9% target. For Leicestershire as a county, greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 were 4.33 MtCO2e, a 5.2% decrease from 2022. The report also noted progress in planting trees, with 494,240 planted towards the target of 700,000 by 2030. However, the county is not on track to meet the 2050 net zero target if current reduction rates continue. The report highlighted concerns about continued limited action on climate change risks due to capacity issues, and the financial pressures on the council making environmental improvements more difficult.

Climate Resilience Delivery Plan

The committee was presented with the Climate Resilience Delivery Plan, which supports the council's Environment Strategy and Strategic Plan. Following a Cabinet decision in July 2025, the focus of the plan has shifted from carbon reduction to climate adaptation, responding to severe weather events, and projects that deliver financial savings or social, economic, or environmental benefits. Actions reflecting flood mitigation and climate resilience measures, agreed by Cabinet in October 2025, have been added. The plan outlines a three-year timeframe for action implementation, aligning with the funding for flood mitigation and climate resilience measures. The report noted that existing Equality Impact Assessments and Health and Wellbeing Impact Assessments would be updated to reflect the changes. The committee's views would be reported to the Cabinet for consideration on 3 February 2026.