Attendees
Emily Reed
Doug Eltham
Emily Widdecombe
Patrick Devine-Wright (Chair)
Lyndis Cole
Nik Bowyer
Ian Bailey
Gill Westcott
Tim Jones
Hannah Lawrie
Ian Hutchcroft
James Shorten
Olly Frankland
Conny Guell
Apologies
Harry Bonnell
Laura Cardenas
1. Matters arising from previous minutes
Some actions carried over:
ACTION: Tim to share the paper with the Task Force.
ACTION: Task Force members to contact Doug with initiatives/projects that the Local Nature Partnership needs to be aware of regarding tree planting.
ACTION: Patrick to share an initiative from Ian Bateman about tree planting.
Emily updated the Task Force on continuing connections with the Response Group. Phil Norrey has been invited to the Task Force every two months. The invitation of Patrick and Sue to attend the Response Group each month is still live – this could be extended to other Task Force members.
2. Progress Report
Emily invited questions on the Progress Report and drew attention to the latest projects being implemented by the partners.
Emily provided further detail on the work of the Climate Impacts Group. The output of this work has been reframed as an adaptation plan that will highlight the opportunities for the region to support adaptation planning, signposting to key needs and resources for organisations and communities to identify the adaptation actions necessary in their locality and areas of influence. A tender document to recruit a consultant to help develop the adaptation strategy is now being prepared and will be issued in the coming weeks.
Doug provided feedback on the second workshop of the Net-Zero Visions project on the 21st February. The seven communities shared information about projects already underway in their communities and what initiatives they would like to see in the visions being developed. Next step is to share the feedback with the artists to discuss what would be possible to incorporate into the visions.
Lyndis asked whether the Ruby Country Net-Zero Farming Forum had published its report yet. Emily advised it hasn’t.
3. Responding to the Citizens’ Assembly
Emily reported that the consultation is on track to launch on the 17th March. Print copies will be available in libraries, including a questionnaire, or these can be requested by telephone. These will be advertised in print media. There will be a long and short version of the online questionnaire.
Sue asked how the short and long questionnaires will differ. Emily explained that the short version will only asks for consultees’ input on the assembly’s Responses (not the Conditions), and only the Responses for which the partnership has provided a Response.
Lyndis suggested making sure references to ‘We’ is clear in the consultation text.
Patrick recommended including hyperlinks where sections in the carbon plan are referenced.
Patrick also suggested the ‘Please tell us why’ box should be present for every possible answer. Ian, Conny and Nik agreed.
Patrick also proposed for the response about wind energy to explain why the first Response is a bit different. i.e. do the partners actually support the development of wind energy?
Ian Bailey will send further responses on the questionnaire through by email.
Ian further said that when responses come back the partnership needs to be careful not to put too much weight on it because of the limited audience for this publication.
Nik asked if the responses will be used as an opportunity for monitoring and evaluation of people’s views and how they will be changing over time. Emily said we can do that, bearing in mind the limited audience of the consultation. Patrick said he could help with testing the statistical significance of any changes seen.
Patrick and Lyndis said it would be good to explain why the Responses are written vaguely, rather than being specific about a certain initiative, so that people understand the politics behind the Response text.
James asked if the Assembly will be asked about the Responses. Emily said those that have agreed to stay in touch will be notified through the newsletter.
Gill asked if the DCERG could propose Resolutions that it did not think were implementable for regulatory reasons. Doug said no, the DCERG would not want to do this.
James suggested the free text question to say “Please make any comment you feel necessary about the proposed response. This may include that you consider different responses to be a better response to the resolution”.
Emily W advised the Task Force that adverts will appear in four regional newspapers during the month long consultation to reach offline audiences. Paid promotion will be used on Instagram and Facebook. A webinar will be staged on the 22nd March to provide further information to the public about the consultation.
Patrick said there is an IPCC 6th Mitigation Report coming out on the 4th March, which could be used as a hook for further promotion of the consultation.
4. Next Iteration of the Interim Devon Carbon Plan
6.1 Progress on editing of chapters
Doug explained that the redraft of the Food, Land and Sea chapter is almost ready for sharing with the Task Force and the Tactical Group.
ACTION: Doug will arrange a call with James and Gill to finalise some final points of the FLS chapter.
ACTION: Doug to email the Cross Cutting Themes chapter to Hannah.
| Chapter of Interim Devon Carbon Plan | Progress on Redrafting |
| Cross Cutting Themes | Amended chapter circulated 17th September 2021 |
| Economy and Resources | Still to be circulated |
| Energy Supply | Amended chapter circulated 17th September 2021 |
| Built Environment | Latest version of amended chapter circulated 16th December 2021 |
| Transport | Amended chapter circulated in July 2021 |
| Food, Land and Sea | Still to be circulated |
5. AOB
Tim wanted to raise that energy prices are rising and this presents opportunities for net-zero but also issues. Ian H said this is definitely an opportunity to accelerate pace of delivery.
The Task Force AGREED a discussion about energy at the next meeting.
ACTION: Olly, Tim and Ian to prepare an elevator pitch for Phil Norrey about the energy situation.
