Climate Change Working Group Update
Argyll and Bute Council · 7 February 2024
Back to Oban Lorn & the Isles Area Community Planning Group — 7 February 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Community Planning Group Date: 25 January 2024 Addressing the Climate Emergency in Argyll and Bute: Argyll and Bute Climate Action 1.0 Purpose The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the CPP Argyll and Bute Climate Action project: developing a Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan for Argyll and Bute. 2.0 Recommendations The CPG are asked to: • Note the approach and status of the project outlined in the report. 3.0 Background The CPP sub-group working on climate change is known as the Climate Change Working Group. It took a fresh look at its remit and potential outputs, which have ultimately centred on producing a Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan for Argyll and Bute. The plan is to be produced by employing a Climate Change Project Manager to lead on the process, who is now in post. This update sets out the current position. 4.0 Detail 4.1 Funding update The Climate Change Working Group pulled together a funding package to support the post of the Climate Change Project Manager, which was estimated to be in the region of £120,000 over two years. Funding is now mostly in place. £30,000 NHS Highland - Argyll & Bute Health and Social Care Partnership £50,000 Argyll and Bute Council £15,000 NatureScot
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£20,000 Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface (TSI) Total = £115,000 There is still a small shortfall, with approximately £13,500 needing to be found to cover the final months of the project, approximately August to October 2025. Thank you to all those supporting the project. 4.2 Progress The CPP Climate Change Project Manager, Andy Macpherson, started in post on 30 October 2023, working 0.8 FTE and employed by Argyll & the Isles Coast & Countryside Trust (ACT). Since starting in post, main activity has been: • One to one meetings with Steering Group, CWG members and other key personnel to identify priorities • Steering Group, ACT Board and CPP Management Group meetings • Meetings with core/potential national partners, notably Sustainable Scotland Network and Adaptation Scotland including discussion of methodology suitable for specific needs of Argyll versus more urban regions. AS have offered some dedicated time from April 2024 to support development of the Strategy • including reviewing methodology but are also actively engaged in supporting • Nearing the end of initial literature review to inform methodology and best practice in addition to known progress and gap analysis • Supporting Islay Energy Trust in collaboration with Adaptation Scotland to work up and secure funding for pilot participatory mapping project on Islay with a view to enable further rollout to support climate impact profiling and risk assessment across Argyll and Bute. Immediate next steps are: • Any changes to work packages/timing • Brand and image • Confirm engagement programme in conjunction with Climate Hubs • Work up draft vision to bring back to Steering Group, CPP and communities • Start work on Theory of Change • Structure proposal (incl gap analysis format) 4.3 ABCAN (Argyll & Bute Climate Action Network) Hub The Climate Change Strategy project works in close conjunction with the ABCAN (Argyll & Bute Climate Action Network) Hub, which sits within the wider suite of Act Now climate projects in which ACT is engaged.
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With Scottish Government funding, and overseen by a collaboration between ACT, Argyll & Bute Third Sector Interface and Time for Change Argyll & Bute, the Argyll & Bute Climate Action Hub is working to establish a network of hubs based in each locality, providing staff resource to coordinate and build on current climate activities, deliver carbon literacy training, facilitate climate conversations, provide seed funding for climate mitigation, engage with hard-to-reach groups and identify opportunities for partnership working across the region to ensure that Argyll & Bute has a cohesive approach to tackling climate change in our communities. The ABCAN Hub project is ideally placed to support the strategic CPP Argyll & Bute Climate Action project with grass roots engagement as other Climate Hubs in Scotland are doing. ABCAN funding and governance are separate to the Climate Change Strategy project. 4.3 Governance Andy’s work will be lined managed by ACCT and guided and supported by the project Steering Group, a sub-set of the CPP Climate Change Working Group. The CPP Climate Change Working Group will moderate its activity while this project is ongoing, and meet once a quarter rather than the monthly meetings we have been holding. Stan Phillips has completed his term as the Chair of the CPP Climate Change Working Group. Current arrangements are for Rona Gold to take on the role on an interim basis, with Stephen Kelly (Station Commander, Argyll and Bute, East Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service) acting as Deputy Chair. We would still be interested in hearing from anyone willing to take on a term as Chair of this group, and thanks go to Stan Phillips for his contribution as Chair that has led to this stage. Andy Macpherson, Climate Change Project Manager For more information, please contact: Andy Macpherson andy@act-now.org.uk