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Writer's pictureMichael Edwards

Further progress on tackling climate change

Appendix A - the draft of a presentation to LGA Urban Conference 

2. SAY –

“Good afternoon. 

“I’ve got loads of slides to show and I’ll move them at quite a quick pace.”

3. SAY –

“Key points to understand –

  1. The case for action is made;

  2. I’ll show Nottm’s work, but the value of what we do is we’re all doing it;

  3. This can be a particularly good topic for scrutiny

  4. We want radical change; and local councils can and should lead;

  5. Consider how you’ve made radical change well and apply it.

4. SAY

the case on climate change is now made

the Al Gore movie,

the Howard Stern report,

And now the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

so let’s move on to how we act; 

5. SAY – “Nottingham has a national and international reputation on climate change.

“We are the home of British local government’s declaration to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

“And there’s a range of things that we’ve done to make progress.

6. SAY – “The British equivalent of the US Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement is the Nottingham Declaration. 

“it’s not famous - like the American equivalents. 

“Cos here we’re working in step with our national gov’t;

“Truly, imagine how you’d feel if you were 6 years into George Bush running your domestic policy.

7. SAY – “Nottingham has a great bus network, modern fleets, we made priorities for bus and pedestrians on our network;

“A scheme transforming the busiest road in our city centre (The Turning Point) might be the only (major) transport scheme to have been got through that was actually allowed to inconvenience the motorist.

“Clear Zone, etc.

“A very radical policy – zone and collar – implemented in the ’70s failed; but it gave us a conviction; 

“Yet many elements of it are now in place and working.

8. SAY –

“This is our tram.

“It’s the best in the country and saving millions of car journeys.

“Park and Ride has been very important”

9. SAY –

“we’ve got permission to expand”

10. SAY –

“Nottingham City Council is the eighth largest purchaser of renewable energy in the UK;   the 19th largest in Europe.

“And we’re planning a 850kW turbine to serve 300 homes on the River Trent south of the city centre (in the Meadows).”

11. SAY –

“The incinerator burns nearly two-thirds of our waste – reducing land-fill;  “It drives the Distributed Heating Systems serving the less well-off districts of St.Ann’s and Sneinton.

“Customers’ heating is now 10% cheaper than gas and that margin is growing.”

12. SAY –

“On the collection of separated waste for Recycling,   we’re rolling out a third bin across many of our housing estates; 

  We’re – catching up with national progress:

  Not always easy to do in parts of our city;

  but we’re 3rd best large English city outside London.”

13. SAY –

“We’ve made progress on energy efficiency of homes – particularly Nottingham City Homes’ housing stock.

“It uses 40% Houses’ criteria to track progress.

“The criteria have triggered some debate – particularly over SAP51 and the scale of demolition.

“But the emphasis on not using energy in the first place is good.”

14. Concerned we were losing momentum so –

* Scrutiny exercise &

* Coach tour to London, Woking, Sutton & Leicester

to learn from others

15. SAY –

Respect for the Climate day

“Dedicated a full Council in October to climate change.

“Held a public consultation in the morning;

“Passed a renewed strategy & a book full of recommendations in the afternoon.

16. SAY – “on that day, ... adopted the polar bear – cos of the sequence in the Gore movie

17. SAY – “on that day, ... Held a video conference with a US Mayor

18. SAY –

“Local newspaper gave the day full coverage and a strong editorial

19. SAY –

“Lots of other things happening

- Environmental themes to regeneration;

- Action with largest employers;

- Ethanol fuelled buses;

- Report back to scrutiny

20. SAY –

“Nottingham does not have climate change as a strategic priority

Instead,

A KEY CONTENTION

treat it as a way of working

Apply the need to mitigate & adapt to all plans – mainstream the impact

Our turnover is nearly £1 billion;

I want the impact across the board – not where a special project or exercise can think of something to do.

21.  SAY –

“Just a word on the city’s philosophy.

“We aim to get people to live, learn and work in the city.

“City living is very sustainable and

a main driver for us is to tackle the issues and perceptions that deter city living.”

AND MOVE ON

22. Our policy response is complex – woven into -

- our corporate themes;

 our policy and performance planning framework; 

 partnership working;

and draws from the ambitions of national gov’t;

23. SAY -

This is based on No.10’s model for the reform of public services.

But it’s in my handwriting cos –

- Michael Lyon’s brings in important ideas;  (co-production, legitimacy);

- Ideas of a “policy / planning framework” and “stop doing” some things was missing;

- An American model had concepts of what you avoided by doing these things.

Point is –

Not to agree with my model

But

KEY CONTENTION

for you to have a model by which you’re going to drive and check for radical change.

CPA has meant focus on effective delivery of improvements and change;

Build on it.

We have a better track record than Whitehall. 

24. SAY

You won’t be able to read this.

But what it shows is the main ideas for working better on climate change

Structured in 3 layers

- Working with partners

- Delivering progress in the structure of our corporate themes;

- Organisational development and the planning framework allowing progress to be delivered in a mainstreamed way.

25. SAY –

“We now have a simple list of the agreed recommendations, with the departmental plans and service plans to deliver the recommendations logged against them

“Then presented the same mainstreaming principle to Core Cities’ main objectives

26. SAY –

Again, you won’t be able to read this, but it triggered a good debate and played to that organisation’s strengths.

My contention is structure your climate change work around your priorities

And build on and revise what you’re doing rather than stop what you’re doing.

27. SAY –

“Conclusions

the case is now made; we must act; 

Celebrate – and then lead;

Value scrutiny;

mainstream your actions on the environment;

use models for implementing radical change; 

28. SAY –

“My job is to help the political processes that are keeping the momentum going. 

“The market is a force for change and I understand one third of British homes may have taken measures to improve energy efficiency. 

“And many of the larger businesses are changing.

“But the market cannot do it alone. 

“The Gov’t has done a lot in terms of international leadership and the policy frameworks.  The advertising and repeated statements are having an impact.

“We know more can be done. 

“The momentum is with us at the moment. 

“Local government can be very good at delivering radical change.

“Let’s keep at it to make the difference.

“Thank you for listening.”

AND FINISH

[Last updated 2007-02-04]

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