Devon Climate Emergency Response Group – minutes of meeting 22 May 2019.
Download a PDF copy of the minutes here.
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Attendees
Phil Norrey, Devon County Council (Chair)
Doug Eltham, Devon County Council
Peter Chamberlain Devon County Council
Amanda Palmer Devon County Council
Tracey Polak Public Health Devon
David Eaton Teignbridge District Council
Neil Hamlyn DCIoS Local Resilience Forum
Paul Netherton Devon and Cornwall Police
Jim Colwell Devon and Cornwall Police
Vicky Goodwin Devon and Cornwall Police
Janet Williams Torridge District Council
Jenny Wallace Torridge District Council
Ken Miles North Devon District Council
Harry Barton Devon Wildlife Trust and Natural Devon
Sophie Hosking South Hams and West Devon Councils
Mark Goodwin University of Exeter
Andrew Pritchard Mid Devon District Council
Sarah Bryan Exmoor National Park Authority
Mark Williams East Devon District Council
Justin Bear Plymouth City Council
Dave Trewolla Environment Agency
Bruce Luxton Exeter City Council
Perry Hobbs South West Water
David Ralph Local Enterprise Partnership
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Apologies
Jennie Kingston, South West Ambulance Service Trust
Debra Lapthorne, Public Health England
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Minutes of the Previous Meeting
The minutes of the previous meeting were AGREED as a true record of the discussion. It was further AGREED for the minutes of the DCERG to be published online. Initially, this will be on the Devon County Council (DCC) website until a shared project website is established.
ACTION: DCC to arrange for online publishing of minutes and set up a project website.
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The Devon Climate Declaration
Phil Norrey introduced the proposed Devon Climate Declaration that had been drafted by the Tactical Group through negotiation between 11 organisations.
It was AGREED that the DCERG members endorse the underlying principles of the Devon Climate Declaration.
ACTION: All DCERG members to discuss with their leadership team the opportunity for their organisation to sign the Declaration as quickly as their procedures allow.
Harry Barton and Mark Williams encouraged DCERG members to be ambitious in delivering on their commitments within the Declaration.
It was confirmed that the intention for the Declaration is to start a snowball of organisations beyond the DCERG becoming signatories. These will be recorded on the project website once it is setup.
Conversations with local authorities in Somerset and the Local Enterprise Partnership will continue so that opportunities to influence the economic prosperity agenda, and benefit from joint initiatives, can be acted upon.
Mark Goodwin advised that the University of Exeter has formed a task and finish group, which includes its IPCC lead-author expertise, to advise the University’s own climate emergency planning process on the timing of decarbonisation. The University is happy to help other organisations too.
ACTION: University of Exeter to identify how support could be offered.
Paul Netherton will arrange for the Climate Impacts Group to coordinate an event in the autumn that will invite expertise from the University, Met Office and Environment Agency and representatives from other DCERG members to further our understanding of climate adaptation activity necessary for a 1.5-degree warmer world.
ACTION: Devon and Cornwall Police to consider governance and membership of the Climate Impacts Group and start preparations for the event.
Sarah Bryan asked if DCC can provide assistance on carbon emissions reporting. Doug Eltham agreed to help with this.
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Drafting Terms of Reference
The Group AGREED to ask the Tactical Group to draft Terms of Reference for the emerging governance structure around the climate emergency ready for the next DCERG meeting.
It was further AGREED to invite representation from the military, transport sector and the Devon Association of Local Councils to the next DCERG meeting.
ACTION: DCC to invite further members and arrange for the Tactical Group to draft Terms of Reference.
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Developing a Process for the Devon Carbon Plan
Phil Norrey suggested that the next stage of collective action is to understand how the Devon Carbon Plan will be produced and to provide a project manager to run the process.
David Ralph advised that the Local Enterprise Partnership’s Energy Strategy and other existing plans and strategies will need to be incorporated into the process.
Perry Hobbs noted that many of the transformational changes described in the Devon Climate Declaration, that the Devon Carbon Plan will aim to deliver, will need changes to national policy and regulation. Lobbying for these changes will need to be part of the Plan.
The Group AGREED to ask the Tactical Group to design a process for the development of the Devon Carbon Plan ready for the next DCERG meeting. This is to include a citizens assembly.
ACTION: DCC to make arrangements for the Tactical Group to discuss and propose a collaborative plan-making process.
It was further AGREED that a project manager will be appointed by DCC as a multi-agency resource.
ACTION: DCC to start the appointment process for a project manager.
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Publicity
Publicity and communication protocols for communicating the activity of the DCERG will be incorporated into the draft Terms of Reference for review at the next meeting. Amanda Palmer recommended that a communications strategy is developed once the process for developing the Devon Carbon Plan is understood.
In the meantime, it was AGREED that rather than a collective statement, individual organisations can determine how to publicise their involvement in the DCERG and their signing of the Devon Climate Declaration.
ACTION: DCC will share a statement that can be used in publicity to consistently describe this collaboration
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Next Meeting
The next meeting is scheduled for 26th June at 14:30 for 1 hour.
