Climate Engagement and Partnerships

Thirty-three people from across Wiltshire have been recruited to take part in a Climate and Environment Forum to be held online two to four times a year. The Forum is a reference group for Wiltshire Council's Environment Directorate to enable a regular two-way dialogue and ideas sharing with a representative group of Wiltshire residents. The first informal meeting was held in July 2022 and the first formal meeting in September 2022.

Terms of Reference, July 2022

1. Purpose of the Climate and Environment Forum - The Climate and Environment Forum will enable a regular two way dialogue and ideas sharing with a representative group of Wiltshire residents. The Climate and Environment Forum does not have delegated authority.
2. Terms of Reference review
   These Terms of Reference shall be adopted (with any agreed changes) at the Climate and Environment Forum's first meeting, then be reviewed annually.
3. Constitutional and legal
   The Forum will not be a legal entity. It does not directly control resources, employ staff, nor will it be able to enter into contractual arrangements. It will not be able to make decisions about the use of public money. It also shall not be regarded as a statutory body. 
4. Chairing and administration
   Wiltshire Council shall provide chairing and administrative support functions for the Forum, subject to appropriate resourcing for this being available. Meeting conclusions, and insight shall be communicated to the appropriate Heads of Service.
5. Membership
   Total membership should not normally exceed thirty persons.
   Forum members should reside or work in the county and show willingness and ability to engage with the council's environmental programmes. The membership as a whole should represent different parts of the county and reflect the demographics of the county as far as possible.
   Members of the Forum will be appointed for two years in the first instance. Forum members may, by notification end their own appointment, and the Forum secretariat will fill any vacancies. 
   In the event of member behaviour being considered detrimental to the Forum, the Chair will raise and discuss this privately with the member. If no resolution is found the Chair will take the matter to the Forum meeting for discussion.
6. Meetings
   The Forum should meet two to four times a year, with two of these meetings aligned with climate emergency updates to Cabinet. Meetings will be remote using MS Teams meetings. Agenda items and papers will be provided to Forum members in advance and notes will be circulated after the meetings.
7. Termination
   When the Council decides that the Forum is no longer required the Forum members will be thanked for their service and notified of the termination of the Climate and Environment Forum.

The Public Sector Partners Climate Working Group brings together partners and the council, to share their approaches and progress towards net zero.

Group aims:

• create better understanding of public sector activity and ambition for the three great challenges of the climate and ecological emergencies and adaptation
• develop focused work programmes involving areas of common interest, such as procurement, infrastructure, engagement or policy
• feed directly into the Wiltshire Public Services Board to highlight key operational challenges or concerns that can be dealt with at the executive level
• develop joint positions on areas of mutual concern/interest i.e. county deals etc
• liaise with other groups to ensure that the wider changes required in behaviour-change, community, commercial and industrial, research and development etc. provide a systems-based, regional approach to the transition that is required

Partners include:

Wiltshire Council routinely works with registered housing providers look at regeneration and retrofit of existing buildings.

Group aims:

• create better understanding of housing provider activity, and ambition for the three great challenges of the climate, ecological emergencies, and adaptation
• explore focused work programmes involving areas of common interest, such as procurement, infrastructure, funding opportunities
• share knowledge and best practice on areas of mutual concern/interest
• liaise with other groups to ensure that the wider changes required in behaviour change, community, commercial and industrial,  etc. provides a systems-based, regional approach to the transition that is required

Partners include: 

For more detail visit Operational flood working groups.

The Education, Employment and Skills Action Group is part of the Skills and Talent subgroup of SWLEP: Website for the South West Local Enterprise Group (opens new window), working on understanding the local skills supply and demand, and works to address issues relating to local education, employment and skills. Part of this is to look at understanding the issues around supply and demand of green skills.

Wiltshire and Swindon History and Records Centre advises museums and conservation laboratories on sustainable practices and energy use and works in partnership with South West Museum Development, who have the climate emergency as one of their aims - South West Museums: Our aims (opens new window).

South West Museum Development exists to support museums and heritage organisations to develop and improve across all areas of their operation and is part of a larger network of Museum Development Providers across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. You can find out more about them on the Museum Development UK (MDUK) (opens new window) website.

During 2021 to 22 there were two green grants issued to museums in Wiltshire, for more details visit South West Museums: Our Annual Review (opens new window).

The council is actively participating in regional and national networks to share learning with other local authorities. This also helps council to explore collaboration on projects where possible, for example retrofit, fleet transition, green finance, and renewable energy investment mechanisms. We are active members of the following networks:

Bath and Northeast Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care System: the council is a member of the partnership that has developed the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Together: Documents & publications (opens new window). The climate emergency is also a health emergency, and has direct consequences for the NHS, causing an increase in infectious diseases, flooding, and heatwaves. The ICS has come together to develop the Green Plan which is a set of commitments to deliver net zero, and reduce the environmental impact of the service.

Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT (Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport) WELCOME TO ADEPT (opens new window)): is the voice of place directors who are responsible for providing day-to-day services including local highways, recycling, waste, and planning. ADEPT members are at the very heart of delivering clean sustainable growth, tackling climate change at a local level. 

Blueprint Coalition: The Blueprint Coalition (adeptnet.org.uk) (opens new window) is an influential coalition of local government organisations, environmental groups and research institutions. ADEPT is part of this coalition - together, we are calling on the government to support local authorities in delivering climate action with a joined-up approach.

Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE), Energy Network: APSE's bespoke Local Authority Energy Collaboration is a partnership developed by our member authorities which looks to leverage and maximise the opportunities afforded to local authorities by working together on a national scale in the green energy agenda. 

UK100: UK100 (opens new window) is a network of local leaders who have pledged to lead a rapid transition to Net Zero with Clean Air in their communities ahead of the government's legal target. Wiltshire Council is also a member of the UK100 (opens new window)

Wiltshire Council leader Cllr Richard Clewer is co-president of UK100 and chair of the Countryside Climate Network.

Council's signing up to UK100 Councils should have set ambitious Net Zero targets for greenhouse emissions of 2030 for council operations and 2045 for area wide emissions at the latest

Local Government Association (local.gov.uk) (opens new window) Climate Action Group

Southwest Inter-authority Climate Change Officers Network (IACCO) organised by the South West Net Zero Hub (swenergyhub.org.uk) (opens new window)

UK Green Building Council (ukgbc.org) (opens new window)

The council supports town and parish councils in their efforts to address climate change. The council organises dedicated webinars and workshops for town/parish councils to help them develop leadership in climate action plans.

• climate Action Planning workshops, led by Centre for Sustainable Energy (cse.org.uk) (opens new window)
• six-monthly information and knowledge sharing workshops, for example, on EV charging infrastructure; energy efficient retrofitting of homes
• opportunity for town and parish councils to identify locations for EV charge points and access grants from Wiltshire Council

Support is provided via the Engagement and Partnership team, and 'Area Board Environment Leads'. We want Area Boards, town and parish councils, and community groups to be able to take part in local action that helps to create a significant impact on key priority areas of the climate strategy such as Electric vehicles charging infrastructure, promoting car clubs, encouraging, and facilitating retrofit of homes and community buildings, energy awareness and nature conservation and recovery. Our support is mainly in the form of information and updates, as well as signposting to opportunities for collaboration or funding when it arises.

• Local Action Events
• Regular updates for Area Board Environment Leads

There is £400k of capital funding available for Voluntary and Community sector organisations (parish councils are not eligible) which they can apply to through our Area Boards. Criteria for the funding is that it must demonstrate that it is meeting local priorities and business plan objectives. A key pillar of the business plan is supporting our carbon neutral objectives and supporting the environment and 17 of our 18 Area Boards have prioritised environment and climate change. Therefore projects that support these goals are being prioritised and encouraged.

Wiltshire area board funding - Environmental Impact 2021/22

• 41 projects helped communities to reduce, reuse or recycle
• 24 projects that reduced the carbon footprint of a building or service
• 38 projects focused on local biodiversity
• 21 projects helped to improve sustainable or public transport
• 22 different projects helped to improve local air quality
• 12 projects helped households to reduce the energy they use at home
• 74 projects increased awareness of environmental issues.

For more information visit Area boards.

The council uses its regular e-newsletter to businesses to showcase good practice, and encourage businesses to measure their carbon footprint, reduce emissions and become carbon resilient.

The council's climate webpage includes dedicated information for businesses, including promoting Target 2030 Countdown to a low carbon economy (delivered by Severn Wye Energy Agency) (opens new window) and Solar Together Wiltshire (solartogether.co.uk) (opens new window)

By working with employers and trainers, through the Employment, Education and Skills Action Group, the provision of training opportunities for green skills is strengthened.

Wiltshire Climate Alliance (wiltshireclimatealliance.org.uk) (opens new window) (WCA). Formed in 2020, this is an umbrella organisation for environmental groups across the county, as well as individual membership for residents. These groups and residents have been holding the council to account on its climate commitments. They have also helped to shape the Climate Strategy through workshops in 2020 and 2021, including two organised by the Wiltshire Climate Alliance Youth group of those under the age of 25.

Regular meetings between Wiltshire Council and WCA aim to keep each other updated and ensure that our activities are supportive of each other. This relationship and WCA activity are an opportunity for residents and community groups to influence and take part in implementation of the Climate strategy and delivery plans. 

Energy Sparks

Energy Sparks is a charity that provides an online, school-specific energy analysis tool and energy education programme. In November 2022 schools, subject to some specific criteria, were invited to apply for a Wiltshire Council grant to pay for a year's worth of energy data from their energy provider. A requirement of the grant was that the school signed up to work with Energy Sparks who can then use that data to help reduce their bills and environmental impact.

Wiltshire Council gave grants to 25 schools to access their energy data who enrolled with Energy Sparks. As part of this promotional effort a number of other schools, who did not meet the grant eligibility criteria, also enrolled with Energy Sparks. Consequently, the data grant project has significantly boosted the number of schools across Wiltshire that are taking positive, proactive measures to help reduce their energy bills and carbon footprints through the Energy Sparks programme. This programme is also an educational tool and so will have positive impacts beyond the schools as students (and staff!) apply their learning to their lives at home.

The process of working with these schools and getting their energy data from their suppliers is now reaching a conclusion. The climate team at Wiltshire Council and Energy Sparks will explore further ways of working together to help support schools make the best use of the services offered by Energy Sparks. This includes some paid for services such as onsite energy audits for those schools that have been receiving online energy data.

More information on Energy Sparks can be found on the Energy Sparks (opens new window) website, including details of how schools can still enrol onto their programme.

Sustrans

Wiltshire Council is working with Sustrans (opens new window) to deliver a behaviour change project to secondary school pupils to raise awareness of climate change, and air quality, and the impact of transport. An action plan will be co-developed with the pupils and their schools to overcome barriers to active travel and kick-start school led active travel campaigns and initiatives.

The schools involved in the project will develop action plans providing a tool to make meaningful and lasting change for the schools. The development of self-led resources will also mean other schools across the county can follow a similar process to increase active travel and reduce their carbon footprint. The project will support the council's commitment to make its own operations carbon neutral by 2030 and ambition to make the county of Wiltshire carbon neutral.

Let's go zero

There are currently 25 schools signed up to the Let’s Go Zero (opens new window) campaign which helps them work towards net zero by 2030.

For an interactive map of the schools locations visit Let's Go Zero: Find out which schools have signed up (opens new window).

The Council is well placed to influence the residents of Wiltshire, directly through its services such as Libraries, and Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre (wshc.org.uk) (opens new window), indirectly through its children and older person services and through its network of Area boardswhich cover all of Wiltshire, in 18 areas based around towns with their rural hinterland.

Progress to address the climate emergency is published every six months via a report to Cabinet and Full Council. Links to these six-monthly update reports can be found on our Climate emergency - latest progress pages. The most recent press releases are published on this page too.

The council's Corporate Performance and Risk Monitoring Report is discussed at Cabinet quarterly, and published here: Browse meetings: Cabinet (opens new window). The performance report shows progress against our key climate indicators. Our corporate risk register includes the risk 'Increasing vulnerability to climate impacts' which means that the council must report on how it is managing the risks associated with the impacts of climate change.

The council's website includes dedicated pages for residents, schools, businesses and other organisations, with links and information on measures towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and becoming more resilient to climate change.

Wiltshire Council likes to keep its residents informed and up to date with effective ways of communication using social media. Awareness, advisory and alerts are shared on social media. The council is working hard to increase its reach to residents through social media. After strategy consultation process, the climate team has attracted a contact list of around 2000 people who have chosen to hear from Wiltshire Council about climate change, and through social media campaigns this is a wider group.

Wiltshire Council has produced several case studies for organisations such as Local Government Association (LGA): Case studies (opens new window), Friends of the Earth: How local councils are acting on climate (opens new window), Ashden, UK 100: Knowledge Hub (uk100.org) (opens new window), and continues to look for examples to showcase as a way to share experience and raise awareness.

Within Wiltshire Council, internal communications on cultural engagement and change will be required to further embed the good work of the climate team with relevant services in Place and reach out to the People staff to make climate change relevant, relatable and actionable.

Climate Emergency Task Group:  Climate Emergency Task group was set up, in 2019, to gather evidence and come up with recommendations on achieving carbon neutral target. The councillors provide challenge to set plans and goals through overview and scrutiny to ensure efficacy.

6 monthly Cabinet Report: Cabinet and Council are reported on climate action every six months as part of the 6-monthly updates. This provides an opportunity review and refresh actions and targets.

Service planning: we are working to collaborate on climate action across our different service areas, and make sure the Climate Strategy Delivery Plan actions are embedded in service planning and operations.

One Council working: thematic working groups or regular meetings are established to involve multiple service areas in delivering shared outcomes, including climate strategy objectives, focussing on certain themes for example active travel, planning policy, property decarbonisation, fleet transition, climate adaptation and resilience, sustainable procurement and social value.

Carbon Literacy Training: Wiltshire staff and councillors are encouraged to participate in carbon literacy training. The council aims to achieve Carbon Literacy Bronze and Silver awards by Dec 2024 (15% of staff accredited). This training gives participants the opportunity to understand and be able to explain the basic science of climate change and how climate change will affect us both globally and locally. This also helps them evaluate the climate change objectives in local authorities and analyse the impacts. By the end of the training, participants construct their own strategies to act on climate change, creating action plans for themselves and their work, and gaining Carbon Literacy certification.

Sustainable travel to work: Staff are encouraged to choose sustainable ways to travel to work, and the Climate Strategy Delivery Plan will focus on action that increases awareness of the salary sacrifice schemes for bicycles and ultra-low emission vehicles (currently being explored), as well as reviewing the staff travel plan.

Internal comms engaging in sustainable choices: for example, regular sustainable food recipes are shared in council's newsletters to increase awareness of food sustainability and encourage people to make more sustainable food choices.