Climate Change Officer Report (Andy MacPherson)
Argyll and Bute Council · 6 June 2025
Back to Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership - Management Committee — 6 June 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Page 1 of 8 Date: 27 May 2025 Update on Argyll and Bute Climate Action: a Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan for Argyll and Bute. 1.0 Purpose The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the Community Planning Partnership’s Argyll And Bute Climate Action project: developing a Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan for Argyll and Bute, and in particular on two points: • Budget Considerations: To ask the CPP Management Committee to consider the potential for use of remaining project budget to undertake further risk assessment and associated work around resilience along with working up legacy proposals beyond the end of the current funded period (end of October 2025). • Legacy Proposal: to ask the CPP Management Committee to consider and comment on an outline proposal for an expression of interest in anticipation of a successor to the National Lottery Climate Action Fund or similar fund coming on stream. This to include what future financial contribution CPP partners might make. 2.0 Recommendations The CPP Management Committee is asked to • Budget Considerations: Approve the proposal from the project Steering Group to use remaining budget, projected at £32k at the end of the current funded period, to keep the project manager in post to undertake further risk assessment and associated work around resilience along with working up legacy proposals, for three days per week from the end of October 2025 to late July 2026 • Legacy Proposal: Consider and comment on the appended outline proposal for an expression of interest in anticipation of Scottish Government and/or a successor to the National Lottery Climate Action Fund or similar fund coming on stream, with emphasis on actions that cut across CPP partners’ areas of interest.
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Page 2 of 8 3.0 Background 3.1 Budget Considerations At its meeting of 16 April, the CPP Management Committee approved the climate change strategy and accompanying outline action plan, and also agreed that of the 6 approved Priority Areas for Action that resilience, particularly community resilience, should be foremost. The CPP agreed that the focus of the project for the remainder of the funded period, which is to the end of October 2025, should be on to producing the Action Plan. The CPP also noted feedback that the initial proposal to commission a consultant-led climate change risk assessment for the scale of Argyll and Bute would be likely to require greater resources than within the budget and that working with communities, ideally via community councils, to produce a range of community- leg risk assessments in support of community resilience plans would best fit the brief. The Management Committee asked the Steering Group to review options available, which were to use the £32k projected to be available at the end of the funded period to enable employment costs, travel & subsistence, equipment and events: 4 days per week: to mid May 2026 3 days per week: to mid July 2026 2 days per week: to late Nov 2026 The Steering Group agreed 3 days per week as the preferred model, comprising 21 hours per week x 37 weeks to 17th July 2026. The Community Planning Manager and the Steering Group Chair agreed that this would all be for additional work over and above the deliverables specified in the original funding agreement and that ACT as the employing body could carry forward funds beyond the end of the current financial year to enable this. The additional work to comprise: • Ongoing work with communities to develop community level risk assessments in support of community-led resilience planning, including budget for 8 learning exchange/summit type events. • Monitoring and reporting on the first year of progress, with input on evaluation. • Developing legacy proposals. The Management Committee is asked to approve the Steering Group’s recommendation to use the remaining project funds for Argyll Countryside
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Page 3 of 8 Trust to keep the project manager in post for 3 days per week from the end of October 2025 to mid July 2026. 3.2 Legacy Proposal The Management Committee also asked on 16 April for the Steering Group to could develop an outline legacy proposal, for example to lead on those areas of joint actions and monitoring and reporting, and suggested that this could be via beginning to work up text in anticipation of a successor to the National Lottry Climate Action Fund coming on stream: the current Fund closes at end May 2025 and Lottery staff when contacted suggested that while any successor fund might not be exactly the same, sustainability would be likely to feature prominently in this. The Climate Action Fund was suggested on the basis that it provides multi year funding to partnerships and specifically aims to target groups what might not otherwise engage with the climate change agenda, and to target activity that does not fall with the scope of public bodies’ existing defined requirements. There are no guarantees of Scottish Government funding for climate change action beyond existing funds targeted at specific requirements, but given the climate strategy’s close linkage to the Scottish National Adaptation Plan it is hoped that funding in support of partnership or community initiatives might become available. The outline proposal appended is drawn from the three questions posed in the first phase application stage (expression of interest) for the Climate Action Fund as at May 2025:. • What’s your proposed project idea? • How will you work with others to deliver your project? • How does your project help communities to take climate action? Outline text proposed to date relates to the strength of partnership working evidenced by the CPP climate strategy along with illustrations of need based on Argyll and Bute’s particular geography and economy. There is less so far on the proposed project ideas as the action plan for the strategy is still in fairly early stages of development, although some suggested areas for emphasis are • resilience as the area that the Management Committee based on feedback from the broader CPP has identified as the foremost area for emphasis o including capacity building as many community groups are already operating at capacity • skills, procurement and supply chain due to the CPP’s work on community wealth building and links with developing a more circular economy in Argyll and Bute
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Page 4 of 8 o including joint procurement opportunities for key items of equipment and supplies identified through the community risk assessment processes. The Management Committee is asked to note the proposal outline and Committee members are asked to provide the Project Manager with any suggestions for priority actions, not tied to any single organisation, that they would like to see included. 4.0 Detail The proposal outline text for a potential expression of interest is appended at the end of this report. 5.0 Resource Implications The Management Committee asked for an indication of what future financial contribution CPP partners might make. Based on the Climate Action Fund outline, funding is available typically for three to five years and five years is suggested in order to provide a substantial block of time to embed change. The suggestion for CPP resourcing would be to fund a post at a similar level to the Climate Change Project Manger but with the person specification shaped by the requirements of taking forward agreed actions. Andy Macpherson, Climate Change Project Manager For more information, please contact: Andy Macpherson andy@act-now.org.uk
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Page 5 of 8 Outline text for Expression of Interest – National Lottery Climate Action Fund What we’ll ask for in your application What’s your proposed project idea? You should tell us: • about your project • how your project meets our priorities • an idea of how you will allocate the money to deliver your project • what you’re hoping to change – in the short and long term • how you know it’s needed • how the community has been involved in shaping your idea • why is this the right time for your project • about the things that will increase the chance of your project being successful for example, you have support from your Local Authority or there’s increasing support from your community. You can write up to 1,000 words for this section, but do not worry if you use fewer. Argyll and Bute Climate Action is an initiative of the Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership to develop a climate change strategy and action plan relevant and appropriate to the unique geography and economy of the region. This is seen as a long term initiative, and emphasis at this stage has been on identifying priority areas of action that are most within the Community Planning Partnership’s ability to influence or control as the group of organisations and community representatives working together to achieve improvements across Argyll and Bute in ways which promote prevention, reduce inequalities and build community capacity. Because many of the CPP partners are public sector bodies that already have climate mitigation duties, emphasis at this stage has been on supporting communities to adapt to the impacts of climate change, ensuring that our most vulnerable communities and households in particular are taken into account. The vision of the strategy is that “We make Argyll and Bute climate ready by acting together to understand and adapt to our changing climate”. A project manager has been in post with funding from November 2023 to October 2025, employed by Argyll Countryside Trust, to develop the strategy and action plan, and the intention of this application is to identify and seek support at the end of this funded development phase to take forward key projects identified which sit across the remits of the various partnership members. The CPP partners are currently reviewing options to extend the funded period. The CPP Management Committee agreed six priority areas for action following a review of all the partners’ climate change duty reports and climate change plans, and a programme of stakeholder and community engagement. This latter was further supported by close collaboration with the Argyll and Bute Climate Action Network (ABCAN) Climate Hubs supported by the Scottish Government, operating across the four administrative areas across Argyll and Bute. The priority areas are Policy Influence
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Page 6 of 8 Infrastructure, including natural infrastructure Skills, Procurement and Supply Chain Resilience/Carbon Literacy Risk Assessment Crosscutting Following feedback from community councils, the Area Community Planning Group, ABCAN and partner bodies, resilience has been placed foremost among these. How will you work with others to deliver your project? You should tell us: • about your organisation • what experience or learning has led you to apply • about the communities, organisations or groups you’re currently working with (or those you hope to work with) • why your partnership is best placed to deliver this work • what will the partners do in your project? • how you will share learning among your partners and with other groups, projects and communities. You can write up to 1,000 words for this section, but do not worry if you use fewer. The Community Planning Partnership as noted above is the group of organisations and community representatives working together to achieve improvements across Argyll and Bute in ways which promote prevention, reduce inequalities and build community capacity. Key among these in funding and leading on the development stage of Argyll and Bute Action have been Argyll and Bute Council, NHS Highland, Nature Scot and Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface, with strong partnership working with other CPP partners including but not limited to Highlands and Island Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, University of the Highlands and Islands, including the Scottish Association for Marine Science, National Farmers’ Union for Scotland, and the Poverty Alliance in addition to technical support from Adaptation Scotland/Verture (formerly Sniffer) and the Sustainable Scotland Network. This partnership brings together skills, resources and influence across an extremely broad cross section, hence the importance of identifying a core set of priority actions of common interest to all partners, and the governance and partnership working have been recognised as a major strength in a CPP self assessment exercise led by the Improvement Service. The CPP also constitutes a strong network for engagement across the community. Through its structure and project governance in the development stage, the CPP in addition to representing the bodies listed above and their respective networks, the CPP also comprises a Climate Change Working Group and a Community Wealthbuilding Working Group and four Area Planning Groups which in turn link with 53 Community Council areas. Overlapping but distinct is the Argyll & Bute Local Resilience Partnership.
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Page 7 of 8 The experience of funding and supporting the project manager’s work to develop a climate change strategy across the CPP has also served as a study in collaborative working across the various partners’ briefs in pursuit of shared ambitions. A recent self assessment led by The Improvement Service saw the strategy – both the strategy document and the process through which it was developed – cited as an exemplar of effective partnership working and innovative approaches, and the CPP now wish to build upon this, including an assessment of the financial resources it needs to contribute to further work as well as seeking external funding. Turning to the communities with which we are currently working and hoping to work, in short this means the population of Argyll and Bute as a whole, emphasising our more vulnerable communities. Argyll and Bute is the second largest local authority in terms of land mass in Scotland and has a population of just under 90,000 making it one of the sparsest in Scotland with around 50% of our communities being defined as ‘rural’. This rural and dispersed characteristic is coupled with the majority of the population living in coastal towns or our 23 inhabited islands and relying on transport links that largely follow shorelines or historic port and ferry routes. With 80% of the population living within 1km of the coast, rising sea levels and exposure from more extreme weather events is more relevant to our region than many others. We have an ageing population and overall population trends over 2018-2043 are minus 14.8% in contrast to the plus 2.5% population increase projected for Scotland over the period. The region’s characterising features of high geographical diversity, low population density, long coastlines, largely rural small, isolated and ageing communities and long distances all impact on considerations of what “good” climate action means for Argyll and Bute. However, we also have urban considerations with our largest single centre of population being Helensburgh, and other important settlements with urban issues but rural supply chains and correspondingly long and vulnerable transport and other communications links. Average gross weekly pay for full-time workers living in Argyll and Bute is £653, or 7% lower than the Scotland average of £702 (NOMIS 2024) and 28% of the population lack access to a car. How does your project help communities to take climate action? You should tell us: how your project will positively impact communities – in the short and long term • how your project inspires people to take climate action • how you will address barriers to participation for underrepresented people and communities – for example, those experiencing ethnic or racial inequity, discrimination or inequality, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, and people who are seeking asylum or who are refugees. You can write up to 1,000 words for this section, but do not worry if you use fewer. The climate change strategy spans measures to impact communities in the short term through means such as supporting climate risk assessments as part of the development of community resilience plans, right through to longer term measures including input to Local Place Plans to help shape the Local Development Plan and engagement with utilities and policy makers on long term
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Page 8 of 8 infrastructure development. The elements of the strategy that this funding proposal seeks to take forward are those that could be termed mid term innovative pilot or demonstration projects that can be developed and initiated over a three to five year period to help shape longer term action suitable to Argyll and Bute’s specific geography and economy. A key aspiration during the development phase has been to go beyond engagement with groups already actively engaged with the climate change agenda. Working with groups such the Health and Social Care Partnership and its associated Living Well network, the Poverty Alliance, the Local Resilience Partnership and InspirAlba on its household resilience project have helped to reach more disadvantaged groups, in addition to reaching out to the Gaelic speaking community which is largely in isolated and fragmented locations. Argyll and Bute has a low population density with numerous small, isolated and fragmented communities, connected by vulnerable transport and communications links and experiencing high rates of digital exclusion as well as fuel and transport poverty. A key approach to inspire people is through the language of resilience: the region comprises 53 Community Council wards, most of which do not have up to date resilience plans and some of which do not have functional community councils. Following Storm Eowyn as a recent example, some areas were without telecommunications, electricity and water for five days, and many were physically inaccessible to emergency or other services due to the number of fallen trees blocking roads or damage to ferry infrastructure. This necessitates understanding local resilience needs and identifying the means to procure these, including skills development and capacity building. Taking an approach through resilience also ensures engagement in a political and economic context climate where net zero and carbon reduction can be portrayed or perceived as imposing extra costs on groups who are already experiencing difficulties with cost of living. Taking the 6 priority areas for action that the CPP strategy has embraced: Policy Influence: Influencing national and regional public and non-public policies through the CPP’s collective voice in a way that recognises Argyll & Bute's distinctive geography and population Infrastructure, including natural infrastructure: Addressing demand and impacts of better transport infrastructure to reduce reliance on private cars and provide for those who do not have a car; enhancing communications and grid infrastructure through maximising decarbonisation and renewable energy opportunities; and natural capital: managing our green and blue infrastructure to reduce emissions and support resilience Skills, Procurement and Supply Chain: Promoting opportunities for climate mitigation, adaptation and community wealth building through improving circular economies within Argyll & Bute; and Increasing opportunities for individuals to gain the skills required to deliver climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience in an inclusive and just way. Resilience/Carbon Literacy: Promoting carbon literacy and greater resilience, across all CPP sectors to empower individuals to bring about climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience in an inclusive and just way. Risk Assessment: Deepening our understanding of the risks and opportunities, including economic risks and opportunities, presented by climate change to Argyll and Bute as a whole and to specific communities and sectors Crosscutting: Encourage individuals, communities and agencies to take multiple actions and to identify new risks and opportunities