Attendees
| Mark RIce | Environment Agency (Chair) |
| Emily Reed | Devon County Council (Environment) |
| Jess Pryer | Met Office |
| William Jackson-Nichols | Devon County Council (Environment) |
| Emily Widdecombe | Westcountry Rivers Trust |
| George Arnison | Environment Agency |
| Jen Manning | Dartmoor National Park Authority |
| Sara Gibbs | Public Health Devon |
| Paul Minshull | Cornwall Council |
| Claire Below | Cornwall Council |
| Donna Sibley | North Devon Council and Torridge Council |
| Louise Sawyer | Devon and Cornwall Police |
1. Review of December Meeting Outcomes
Emily Reed reviewed the outcomes from the December meeting, highlighting key actions and themes. Emily emphasised the role of the Climate Impacts Group (CIG) in monitoring, baselining, and engagement, and discussed the structure of the CIG and its reporting responsibilities to the Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly climate partnerships. The group agreed she had accurately reflected and characterised the December meeting discussions.
a. The Role of the CIG
Emily summarised that the December meeting discussed the value of the CIG in supporting relationships, knowledge sharing, and addressing big questions. Emily outlined actions which arose from the meeting, such as conducting surveys of stakeholders regarding the role of the CIG, scheduling quarterly in-person meetings and the need for stakeholder mapping to ensure adequate sectoral representation.
Emily shared a draft survey on perceptions of the CIG by stakeholders. The meeting discussed the audience for the survey and its purpose, the importance of understanding the expectations and awareness of the CIG among stakeholders, and the potential for sectoral meetings and an engagement plan. It was agreed to delay sharing the survey at present.
ACTION: the group decided to develop an engagement plan based on stakeholder mapping.
ACTION: consider the timing and audience for surveys and other engagement activities.
b. Engagement
Emily Reed summarised the outcomes of the December meeting regarding engagement. In December, the group identified the need to map stakeholders and sectors to ensure effective engagement. Emily outlined key actions, including developing an engagement plan, creating toolkits for sectors, raising awareness of the strategy and the CIG, and defining the audience for the website to improve resources.
The discussion highlighted the importance of clear communication and understanding the target audience, as well as the need for a strategic approach to engagement, focusing on key stakeholders and sectors.
ACTION: the group agreed to conduct a stakeholder mapping exercise in the February meeting to identify key stakeholders and sectors for strategic engagement.
c. Monitoring and Baselining
Emily recapped that the December meeting had highlighted the need for indicators to measure resilience and progress against the adaptation strategy and the importance of using existing data and collaborating with relevant organisations.
The discussion points included the challenges of developing meaningful indicators and the potential for using data from various sectors to assess regional resilience.
Emily Reed proposed working with the University of Exeter on the development of monitoring indicators.
ACTION: the group decided to collaborate with the University of Exeter to develop resilience indicators and to gather relevant data from various sectors.
2. Climate Adaptation Communications 2025 Campaign
William Jackson-Nichols presented examples of the climate adaptation communications campaign. William emphasised the importance of seasonal messaging and engaging content, and the need for collaboration with stakeholders to ensure accurate and relevant information.
ACTION: the group agreed to continue developing and sharing seasonal adaptation messaging for social media and for Will to check in with relevant stakeholders as necessary to ensure the messaging is right ahead of sharing the posts.
The discussion points covered the potential for rebranding existing adaptation resources to make them more relevant to the region. The group concluded that further energy shouldn’t be spent on resources until the group’s engagement strategy has been clarified.
3. Any Other Business (AOB)
Paul Minshull shared information about a recent parliamentary audit committee meeting on flood risk management.
George Arnison highlighted the publication of new flood and erosion maps by the Environment Agency, noting their significance and the need for public awareness.
