Devon Climate Emergency Response Group

The Devon Climate Emergency Response Group (DCERG) is made up of senior officers of about 25 organisations including councils, emergency services, businesses and voluntary organisations and has been established to provide the strategic coordination of a collaborative response to the Devon Climate Emergency.

As well working on the Devon Climate Emergency response, the partner organisations are also working to reduce their own organisational emissions.

Minutes of the latest meeting:

Devon Climate Emergency Response Group Meeting, 5th October 20234 December 2023

All minutes

Terms of Reference

Vision

A net-zero carbon Devon, with its environment and communities resilient to the effects of inevitable climate change. Net-zero means that the balance of carbon sinks and emissions in any one year will be zero.

Scope

The scope extends across all carbon-emitting activity in Devon (including production and consumption emissions), and climate-related risks to its communities. This includes all those people who live, work in and visit our county, and those businesses who are based or operate in Devon.

Objectives

To coordinate a collaborative Devon-wide response to the climate emergency to:

facilitate the reduction of carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050 at the latest
prepare Devon for the necessary adaptations to infrastructure and services to respond to a 1.5-degree warmer world

Deliverables

Devon Carbon Plan
An initial review of Devon’s climate-related community and environmental risks and opportunities and a subsequent adaptation plan
A plan from each signatory to the Devon Climate Declaration, within 6 months of signing, to reduce their organisational carbon emissions

Role

To provide strategic coordination to ensure appropriate processes are collectively planned, resourced and delivered to achieve the project objectives and deliverables.

Meetings

Initially, the Response Group is meeting on an ad-hoc basis whilst the project start-up phase is underway. Thereafter, the frequency will be every 1 month. Meetings will be dial-in with a physical option where low-carbon transport can be used.

Membership

Membership will be by invitation to strategic and membership organisations to provide officer representation across the identified sectors (to retain political impartiality). View the work of the partner organisations here. Organisations currently involved are:

Communications

The minutes of the Response Group will be published on the project website (this website) following their sign-off.

Collective press releases will be agreed by all parties before release. Members are encouraged to issue organisation-specific press releases and to make use of social media to reach a wider audience. These should include appropriate reference to the Devon Climate Emergency process and groupings.

Chairperson

The Chair of the Response Group will be appointed from its members, by its members. The initial chair is Devon County Council. The Group will re-elect the chair every 12 months. The Chair can serve multiple terms.

Decisions

The Response Group will seek to make decisions by consensus. If necessary, decision can be taken by a majority vote, with the chair holding an additional casting vote.

Sub-Groups and Work Streams

The Response Group can establish sub-groups, both indefinitely and on a task-and-finish basis, to progress specific items and deliverable, or assign these to an existing multi-agency group that is well placed to act.

Resources

Financial and in-kind resources to achieve the deliverables are to be sought from each of the Response Group members to reflect the collaboration. Where relevant, additional resources for specific tasks may be found from other sources.

Secretariat

Devon County Council’s Environment Group will provide the secretariat function. Other members’ assistance with this is encouraged. A dedicated Project Manager will be appointed by Devon County Council to support this process, acting in the interest of all members.