Cllr David Harvey will become Cabinet member for Climate Change while the Cabinet has also recommended that a full-time Climate Change Manager is appointed by the Council.
The move follows the Council officially recognising the climate emergency in June.
Cllr Harvey said: “We need to show ambition and impetus to push the climate change agenda forward.
“We need to establish what the key areas are where we can make a change such as planning provision, electric vehicle charging points and ensuring new homes are built as efficiently as possible.”
Cllr Harvey added that he would be looking to learn from other councils’ experience in the area as well as lobbying for change at national level.
The Cabinet has approved a recommendation for the council to provide £120,000 of funding for the Climate Change Manager position for the next two years.