Quick Navigation
- Attendees
- 1. Minutes of the Previous Meeting
- 2. Project Progress Report
- 3. Proposals for the DCE Partnership Structure Refresh
- 4. Any Other Business
Attendees
- Emily Reed Devon Climate Emergency (Secretariat)
- Mark Burton Southwest Net Zero Hub
- Adam Williams South Hams and West Devon Councils
- Collete Germon Devon Partnership NHS Trust
- Louise Sawyer Devon and Cornwall Police
- Catherine Causley East Devon District Council
- David Rose South West Water
- Amy Brett-Schneider Exeter City Council
- Jason Ball Mid Devon District Council
- Luke Mitchell Royal Devon University Healthcare Foundation NHS Trust
- Donna Sibley North Devon and Torridge Councils
1. Minutes of the Previous Meeting
Follow-up actions from the Libraries Unlimited project were noted. Emily has contacted Helen and Rachel to progress these.
David Rose had provided a contact at South West Water for outreach collaboration, but issues with internal email addresses remain unresolved.
ACTION: Emily to chase South West Water external comms contact.
ACTION: Await further updates from Helen and Rachel regarding Libraries Unlimited actions.
2. Project Progress Report
Climate Impacts Group:
- Emphasised the need for working groups on adaptation and resilience within the DCE restructure.
- National discussions ongoing about extending the Adaptation Reporting Power to local authorities. Emily has fed back concerns to Defra regarding purpose and resource implications.
- Forum for the Future has drafted a report on business resilience to extreme weather, highlighting the need for support for micro and SME businesses.
Climate Task Force:
- Recommended identifying quick wins to build momentum and public support.
- Encouraged communications that highlight co-benefits of climate action.
- Suggested using a scorecard or prioritisation matrix to assess projects.
- Emphasised empowering thematic groups to drive delivery.
ACTION: Emily to circulate Forum for the Future report once finalised.
ACTION: Will to develop communications highlighting co-benefits.
3. Proposals for the DCE Partnership Structure Refresh
Emily introduced the paper proposing a restructure of the partnership to improve delivery, including through thematic action groups.
Luke Mitchell questioned whether the Tactical Group is more suited to strategic overview and knowledge sharing than delivery.
Donna Sibley raised concerns about unrealistic expectations from the Task Force, especially regarding funding and capacity for large-scale retrofit projects in the absence of Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
Catherine Causley shared East Devon’s approach to housing stock assessment and planning for adaptation and retrofit.
Mark Burton and others supported the idea of thematic groups, particularly for housing, to share best practice and develop joint funding bids.
Jason Ball emphasised the need for collaboration, strategic asks, and endorsement from senior leadership.
General consensus supported the restructure and the formation of thematic groups to enable more focused delivery.
ACTION: Emily to revise the proposal paper to:
- Include example themes (e.g. housing, EV infrastructure, retrofit).
- Clarify that Tactical Group recommends priorities to the Response Group.
- Highlight resource needs and strategic asks.
ACTION: Tactical Group to begin prioritisation process at the next meeting.
ACTION: Members to send feedback on the paper to Emily before it goes to the Response Group.
4. Any Other Business
Transitional Regional Energy Strategic Plan:
- Donna Sibley asked if any local authorities had identified strategic projects for inclusion.
- North Devon is exploring strategic waste planning post-local government reorganisation.
Adaptation Report:
- David Rose shared South West Water’s adaptation report and noted similar funding challenges to local authorities.
- OFWAT consultation on climate change principles is ongoing.
EV Infrastructure Collaboration:
- Jason Ball raised the need for shared EV charging infrastructure across organisations.
- Emily mentioned Pauatech’s pilot project and offered to circulate information.
ACTION: Local authorities to share any strategic project ideas with Donna.
ACTION: Emily to share Pauatech’s pilot details with Jason and others.
ACTION: Tactical Group to explore forming a collaboration group on EV infrastructure.
