New partnership could soon be set up to help tackle climate change in Calderdale

Business, the voluntary and community sector and young people will all be offered places on the partnership, if Calderdale Council’s Cabinet agrees to dissolve its own panel and replace it with this wider brief.

Ruling group and opposition councillors will continue to play a leading role.

Calderdale Council, which declared a climate emergency in January 2019 following which a Climate Change Working Party was established to provide leadership moving towards a net zero carbon target by 2038 with significant progress to be made by 2030.

Following the publication of an Emissions Reduction Pathway (ERP) setting out the scale of the carbon reduction challenge, the Climate Change Working Party decided to begin a process of developing and consulting on a Climate Action Plan, and,as part of this process, to undertake a review of the Working Party and its role.

At recent meetings of the panel, which has had non-councillor input, believe tackling climate change cannot be done by the council alone and wider society, including businesses and community groups, have a part to play, coupled with the need to draw on the widest range of ideas and talent to meet the challenge.

Cabinet will be asked to approve bringing Calderdale Climate Action Partnership into being when members meet on Monday, June 6.

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet member for Climate Change and Resilience, Coun Scott Patient (Lab, Luddenden Foot), said action on climate change is one of the council’s three corporate priorities.

“The scale of change needed across Calderdale to achieve a carbon neutral borough means that working together across sectors and communities is essential.

“We have a much better chance of cutting carbon emissions if we work together as a whole place.

“Drawing on Calderdale’s talent, we appreciate the contribution that a wide range of partners make.

“From young people and businesses to health and housing sectors, their perspectives and expertise would be of great value to the Climate Action Partnership, and ultimately, the protection of our environment,” he said.

If his Cabinet colleagues to inaugurate the partnership , it will be chaired by the Cabinet member for Climate Change and Resilience – Coun Patient – and the partnership, who will elect a Deputy Chair, will consist of the following, some of whom will have votes and others being non-voting.

Calderdale will have six councillors who have voting rights, three from the ruling administration’s group and three from opposition groups, two members of Calderdale Youth Council, who will have voting rights, two business sector representatives, who will have voting rights, two voluntary and community sector representatives, who would have voting rights, two additional voluntary sector representatives, who would not have voting rights, an NHS representative from Calderdale Cares Partnership Board, who would have voting rights, and local housing representation from a representative from Together Housing, who would have voting right.

Finally, the council’s Director of Public Health, Deborah Harkins, who is also the council’s lead officer for Climate Change, would also have a place on the new partnership board but without voting rights.

Initially, the new partnership is likely to meet quarterly and the meetings will be open to the public.

The partnership will formally report on progress with the delivery of Calderdale Climate Action Plan to Calderdale Council’s Cabinet, through an annual report.