Memorandum submitted by the Nottingham
Declaration Partnership
1.1 Launched in October 2000 in Nottingham,
the Nottingham Declaration has now been signed by more than 280
(72%) English councils. All Scottish and Welsh councils have signed
their own version. Councils that sign the Declaration make a commitment
to, "within two years, develop plans with their partners
and local communities to progressively address the causes and
the impacts of climate change". The value of the Declaration
has been to commit senior council management, both leaders and
Chief Executives, to take action on climate change. A copy of
the Declaration is attached.
1.2 The Declaration is underpinned by a
unique Partnership of all of the key bodies that support local
authority action on climate change.[40]
While the partner organisations support local authorities through
their own programmes, by working together we aim to add value
by offering a focal point for action by councils and a "one-stop-shop"
for guidance and support across all aspects of climate change.
1.3 The Partnership currently provides:
marketing campaigns to attract new signatories; on-line guidance
for local authorities on adaptation and mitigation; an on-line
user forum; and occasional email updates for signatories.
1.4 At present the Partnership is an informal
arrangement. It does not receive any direct funding and is entirely
supported by ad hoc partner contributions. We are currently reviewing
this arrangement and considering whether to institute a more formal
structure. We also aspire to place the Partnership on a more secure
footing by obtaining dedicated funding.
Q2. How effective has the Nottingham Declaration
process been? How can the accountability and transparency of the
response at a local level be improved?
1.5 The Nottingham Declaration Partnership
(NDP) believe that the Declaration has been very succesful in
mobilising local authority action on climate change. In the absence
of a mechanism to embed climate change within local authority
performance frameworks (until the Local Government Bill proposals
in late 2006), there was no national driver to ensure climate
change was addressed at the highest levels in local authorities.
The Declaration therefore gained a high profile with councils
as a focal point for action.
1.6 The key role of the Declaration in driving
action is supported by empirical evidence. A survey of local authorities
comissioned by the LGA Climate Change Commission found that 84%
of local authorities that have or are developing a climate change
stategy believed that signing the Nottingham Declaration was a
key driver. Similarly, a recent survey by the Energy Saving Trust
(EST) found that 80% of respondents believed that signing the
Declaration helped to build member and senior officer momentum
within the council.
1.7 Since the formation of the partnership,
a top priority has been to increase the number of signatories.
Turning councils' commitment into action is, however, clearly
key. In its recent report[41]
the LGA Climate Change Commission argued that:
The Nottingham Declaration has no formal status
in terms of ability to monitor council progress, gather data or
hold councils to account. If it is to remain the focus of good
practice amongst councils it must be strengthened.
1.8 We agree with the Commission that the
time has come to be more robust in assessing how commitments convert
into effective action. However, the Partnership also recognises
that it has no formal role in holding councils to account and
that the task of monitoring council progress is the domain of
government, the Audit Commission and other relevant inspectorates.
As an alternative we are exploring the feasibility of introducing
a new voluntary Nottingham Declaration accreditation scheme.
1.9 As explained in our answer to question
3 below, we believe that an accreditation scheme would complement
and strengthen the new local performance framework by:
1. Encouraging all signatories to put in
place essential mechanisms for improving their performance on
climate change.
2. Helping to strengthen the Audit Commission's
assessment of adaptation and mitigation within Comprehensive Area
Assessments.
3. Raising the public visibility of councils'
response to climate change.
1.10 Accreditation would provide assurance
that signing the Declaration has led to effective action. A key
aim would be to bring weaker performing local authorities up to
a minimum standard, but we would also aim to encourage signatories
to continue to stretch their performance.
1.11 Consequently we are considering a graded
accreditation. To achieve the lowest level, local authorities
would be expected to demonstrate that they have met the Declaration's
commitment to adopt a climate change action plan that satisfactorily
addresses both adaptation and mitigation. Higher levels would
demand convincing evidence of improving performance.
1.12 We believe that an accreditation scheme
would help to strengthen the Audit Commission's assessment of
adaptation and mitigation responses within Area Risk Assessments.
An accreditation scheme would thus be complementary to the formal
performance framework assessment process. We are currently discussing
our proposals within the partnership with a view to discussions
with the Audit Commission.
Q3. Does there need to be a more explicit
reference to climate change in the local government performance
framework and will the new performance indicators on climate change
be enough to stimulate action?
1.13 The NDP welcomes the introduction of
three climate change performance indicators (PI) within the local
performance framework. This is an essential first step and for
the first time drives climate change into the heart of local government.
1.14 However, performance management is
subject to the pressures of competing demands and it is important
that councils have the freedom to respond to local priorities.
With 198 national indicators competing for attention, the inclusion
of a handful on climate change cannot guarantee action. It is
therefore vital that all organisations that support councils in
improving performance reinforce the centrality of climate change.
1.15 Although some local areas may well
include improvement targets around climate change within their
Local Area Agreements (LAAs), we do not anticipate that all local
areas will commit to improvements on both adaptation and mitigation.
Therefore it is important to reinforce action in other ways. It
is our belief that the Audit Commission's Comprehensive Area Assessment
(CAA) presents the best opportunity for strengthening councils'
response, reinforced by support from Government Offices, CLG,
Defra and the ND partners.
1.16 In recent months the Audit Commission
has demonstrated a growing commitment to addressing climate change
within its assessments. For example, its recent consultation on
the Use of Resources Assessment[42]
states that it will consider how well the authority is "tackling
climate change" [in its use of resources].
1.17 We believe that an ND accreditation
scheme would help, by providing the Commission with easily recognisable
evidence of how well a local authority is responding to adaptation
and mitigation.
Q10. What good practice is there to be shared?
How is best practice shared and does central government support
for sharing best practice work? What role should UK Climate Impacts
Programme, IDeA, Salix Finance, the Carbon Trust and Energy Saving
Trust play in providing support?
1.18 Although there is a growing range of
advice and support for local authorities on climate change, it
is scattered across a variety of agencies and is not always easily
found by its target audience. The goal of the Partnership is to
provide a "one-stop-shop" to advise on both adaptation
and mitigation.
1.19 In April 2008 we will launch a much
improved Nottingham Declaration website. Our intention is that
the website will become a "one-stop-shop" for local
authorities seeking advice on climate change and:
— act as a portal to all available
advice and support for local authorities on both adaptation and
mitigation;
— include the latest news on climate
change as well as information designed specifically for Elected
Members and service managers;
— draw on the experience of the Partners
to identify good practice and then signpost signatories to that
good practice; and
— become a living site that is continuously
updated.
1.20 We also have aspirations to:
— commission new case studies and guidance
where there are obvious gaps for particular local authority services;
and
— complement the website with other
dissemination methods such as training programmes and digital
newsletters.
1.21 However, our capacity to maintain an
up-to-date website, implement an accreditation scheme, and progress
other initiatives, will inevitably depend on the resources that
are available to the Partnership.
11 January 2008
40 The Environment Agency, Carbon Trust, energy saving
trust, ICLEI, I&DeA, Local Government Association, Nottingham
City Council, UK Climate Impacts Programme. Back
41
A Climate of Change, LGA Climate Change Commission, December
2008. Back
42
Use of Resources 2009, CAA consultation, Audit Commission,
November 2007. Back
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