Report of Mike Wilton, Chair, Manchester Climate Change Partnership and Jonny Sadler, Deputy Director, Manchester Climate Change Agency

This report provides an overview of progress against the Manchester Climate Change Framework 2020-25 and priorities for 2021/22+.

The Committee considered the report and accompanying presentation of the Chair, Manchester Climate Change Partnership and the Deputy Director, Manchester Climate Change Agency that provided an overview of progress against the Manchester Climate Change Framework 2020-25 and priorities for 2021/22+.

The main points and themes within the report included: -

•           Providing an introduction and background to the Our Manchester Strategy, the Manchester Climate Change Partnership and the Manchester Climate Change Agency;

•           An overview of the Manchester Climate Change Framework 2020-25 and its four headline objectives and six priority areas for action;

•           An overview of citywide progress 2019/20, noting that the latest report was published in July 2020;

•           Providing an overview of the Partnership and Agency Progress Summary 2020/21; and

•           Describing the various Partnership and Agency Priorities 2021/22+.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were: -

•           Regular progress reports were required to enable the Committee to scrutinise progress against the ambitions to reduce emissions;

•           Need to discuss climate change in the context of social justice and ensure that all communications supported the climate change agenda;

•           Any communication strategy needed to be appropriate to maximise its reach and influence to all the diverse communities in Manchester;

•           The need to articulate the urgency of this issue and that immediate action was required;

•           Communities and young people needed to be supported to mobilise and take appropriate actions to tackle climate change;

•           The importance of engaging with all communities and stakeholders on this important issue so that a collective response could be delivered;

•           The need for the Council to use all levers and spheres of influence to prioritise climate change, including planning policy and enforcement;

•           All information that was available to the public, including that available on the Council’s website needed to be reviewed regularly to ensure it was accurate and current;

•           Education and engagement with young people on the issue of climate change was key; and

•           To recognise the need for meaningful and appropriate engagement with residents and communities, noting that those experiencing economic hardships might not prioritise climate change and the options and choices available to them could be limited.

In response to the comments raised by the Committee, the Deputy Director, Manchester Climate Change Agency advised that regular progress reports could be submitted for consideration, subject to the availability of data. However, he stated that as the team was relatively small there was a need to ensure the correct balance was drawn to ensure that they continued to deliver and progress actions. The Chair of the Climate Change Partnership stated that bimonthly RAG rating reports were produced against identified actions and these could be shared with the Committee for information. The Committee welcomed this suggestion.

The Chair of the Climate Change Partnership further commented that the focus on 2025 as a target date ensured that this remained an immediate issue and kept a focus on this important agenda.

The Deputy Director, Manchester  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.

The monthly report includes the recommendations monitor, relevant key decisions, the Committee’s work programme and any items for information.

The report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit which contained key decisions within the Committee’s remit and responses to previous recommendations was submitted for comment. Members were also invited to agree the Committee’s future work programme.

The Committee noted that it would be discussing the work programme for the forthcoming municipal year in further detail in a private session following the meeting, and that an updated work programme reflecting this discussion would be circulated as normal in the papers for the next meeting.

Decision

The Committee note the report.

The officers consider that the following item contains exempt information as provided for in the Local Government Access to Information Act and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. The Committee is recommended to agree the necessary resolutions excluding the public from the meeting during consideration of this item.

Decision

To exclude the public during consideration of the following item which involved consideration of exempt information relating to the financial or business affairs of particular persons and public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer

This report provides an overview of how cross-cutting themes in the Our Manchester Strategy – Forward to 2025 reset document are covered by the Council’s Scrutiny Committees during the 2021/22 municipal year.

The report is to form part of the Work Programming session at the rise of this meeting for Committee Members only.

The Committee considered the report of Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer that provided an overview of how cross-cutting themes in the Our Manchester Strategy – Forward to 2025 reset document were covered by MCC Scrutiny Committees during the 2021/22 municipal year.

Our Manchester Strategy – Forward to 2025 had reset Manchester’s priorities for the next five years to ensure we could achieve the city’s ambitions set out in the Our Manchester Strategy 2016 – 2025.

Decision

The Committee note the report.