Report of the Strategic Lead, Resources & Programmes

This report provides an overview of the progress that the Council’s Culture Team has made in responding to the climate emergency, and how the team is working in partnership with the cultural sector to support Manchester’s progress towards its 2038 zero carbon target.

The Committee considered the report of the Strategic Lead, Resources and Programmes that provided an overview of the progress that the Council’s Culture Team had made in responding to the climate emergency, and how the team was working in partnership with the cultural sector to support Manchester’s progress towards its 2038 zero carbon target.

Key points and themes in the report included:

·         Providing an introduction and background to the subject area;

·         Noting that the catalyst for change in the culture sector had been the ever-growing threat of the climate emergency, and the understanding that without action and a unified response, there would be irreversible damage done to the planet and our communities;

·         Providing case studies;

·         Noting that Manchester’s Cultural Impact Survey for 2020/21 showed that a total of 427 employees across 28 cultural organisations had received training in Carbon Literacy from an accredited trainer, representing a 35% increase in the number of organisations with trained employees when compared with 2019/20;

·         Recognising the importance of volunteers and reporting that many organisations were now taking forward carbon literacy training for their volunteers;

·         Describing that the cultural sector had come together to engage in collective action on climate change;

·         Information on the Manchester Culture Awards, noting that since its conception in 2018, the awards had spotlighted sustainability with a “Promotion of Environmental Sustainability” award; and

·         Describing the role and achievements of the Council’s Culture Team and zero carbon, including next steps.

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

·         Welcoming the report and recognising the significant contribution the cultural sector in Manchester had, both in terms of a practical role and in a leadership capacity to address climate change;

·         The importance of ‘story telling’ as a means of articulating progress and influencing wider behaviour change;

·         Noting the positive example set by HOME;

·         How these examples of good practice should be used to influence other sectors across the city;

·         Welcoming carbon literacy training being made available to volunteers; and

·         Noting the challenge presented by buildings in relation to carbon emissions.

The Director of Culture welcomed the many positive comments articulated by Members. He advised that the concept of ‘story telling’ was an important vehicle to engage with and influence behaviour change. He further commented that HOME did work with partners to promote this work and referred to the work with Transport for Greater Manchester on the issue of active travel to and from the site. The Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer acknowledged and paid tribute to the positive work HOME delivered with partners and local businesses in Manchester on the issue of climate change.

The Strategic Lead, Resources & Programmes stated that the report that had been considered by the Committee would be shared more widely with partners to showcase the good work described. He paid tribute to Julies Bicycle, a pioneering not-for-profit organisation, mobilising the arts and culture to take action on the climate and ecological crisis.

The Executive Member for Environment and Transport paid tribute to GMAST, a group that brought together the cultural and creative community across Greater Manchester to address the climate and ecological crisis.

The Statutory Deputy Leader stated that the cultural sector was leading on this agenda, even when a lot of the work was ‘invisible’. He further noted the opportunity for culture to serve as a catalyst to influence behaviour change in relation to climate change. He welcomed the support and many positive comments from the Committee.

Decision

To note the report and requested that an update report be submitted for consideration in the new municipal year.