Climate and Community Action Working Group (CCAWG)

Climate & Community Action Working Group Meeting

Date: 4th March 2024, 4pm - 5.30pm, MS Teams

Present: Athol Halle (AH), Dave Allen (DA), Kayla Ente (KE), Kirsten Firth (KF), Les Gunbie (LG), Maria Antoniou (MA), Mark Earthey (ME), Neil Younger (NY), Simon Maxwell (SM), Steve Peake (SP)

Apologies: Julie Harris (JH). Mita Patel (MP)

Welcome

MA welcomed all to the meeting. She stated that she will Chair and AH will do minutes.

Update

KE – thanks for invite – will listen for first meet and give updates if invited in the future.

SM -2 new papers published From C:C on Transport and on Energy. Held a public meeting with 60 people on reducing climate impact of food. Article in Brightonian and Hovarian as well. Planning next event. Transport paper here: https://www.climatechangebh.org.uk/perspectives/an-introduction-to-surface-transport-emissions-with-a-brighton-and-hove-perspective

DA- B&H Friends of the Earth is closing. DA also a non-exec member of BHCA. BHCA bid to Lottery Reaching Communities got a knock back at Stage 1. SP is asking for feedback.

LG – The Our City Our World school climate education work has been cut in the new council budget. Hanover Action was involved in a campaign to salvage this and has got some success with an expected announcement soon about some form of reprieve trying to get funds from somewhere. Can forward letter from councillors Muten and Rowkins.

ME – Energy Champions Team in Saltdean now up and running with 10 people. Repair café next up. Also trying to set up something similar for Rottingdean and Ovingdean. Wants to connect with KE on Energy Champions training. Went to Parliament for event on Community Energy and was oversubscribed and was turned away. However, was chance to spend time with councillors Rowkins and Muten and make plans for community energy in the city.

KF – Council Budget cuts – Sustainability Team affected. Probably reducing from 8 to 4, though not confirmed. Possible creation of new Net Zero Team. The Housing teams on energy efficiency and water not affected. The council property team not affected. Transport team - some cuts. Published new paper on climate risk and vulnerability adaptation strategy – which was approved by council.

MA – Council budget cuts also affecting CVS. Some reprieve for youth funding. The Community Fund has effectively been scrapped and the main Third Sector Commission receiving a 10% cut. Community Works progressing with internal work on getting Investors in the Environment accreditation.

NY – Mic not working and unable to present.

JH (via MA) sent apologies.

AH – Mentioned the new Lottery climate fund, previously shared. Would need to incorporate a broad partnership and at minimum value of £500k – plenty to go round. Possibly bring the school education work funding into this? TDC would consider leading – agreed to have a meeting with those interested in participating in the bid.

MA mentioned that Brighton previously knocked back on a similar fund 10+ years ago because Brighton was already seen as ‘green’ already.

KF on Ouse Valley Climate Action group – funded by the same fund and happy to share experiences of the fund.

Updates from subgroups

Waste & Circular Economy Subgroup

Next meeting will agree plans for the campaign. Two strands proposed by BHCC: Brighton Remade – reusing and repairing and ‘Bring it’ about reducing single use plastic. LG chaired last time – but whole group will be offered to chair next time. MA asked if anyone present, who was part of the subgroup, wanted to chair. No one volunteered.

New Sub-Groups

SP proposed setting up a new working group on Decarbonisation. This was deferred to the next item but was not discussed then, so we can be an ask by email.

BHCC’s Decarbonisation Pathways Study

KF – The appointed consultants Buro Happold have a good track record for this type of work. KF can share the consultancy brief after the meeting, which is detailed. KF outlined the four phases of the project which include mapping and modelling to understand the scale of the challenge and producing robust evidence to help develop priorities. KF explained what has been included in the study and what is not within project scope. The project focuses on energy systems, rather than everything we can do to reduce energy use. Stakeholder engagement runs throughout, but Phase 4 includes producing a stakeholder engagement strategy. Includes business, public sector, community organisations.

KE – (referring to map shared) Whitehawk fairly energy efficient, seafront least efficient because of housing type. BHESCO has been involved in developing energy networks for seafront properties

KE - Is there a timescale for stakeholder involvement? KF - we are engaging with larger organisations at the moment e.g. UK Power Networks. There was some discussion about this.

KE – Is there a ‘digital twin’? BHESCO did bid for it so we know the spec. KF – No, consultants haven’t been asked to do this

KE A report in 2013 was done for £400k. Is this still being used. https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/sites/default/files/migrated/article/inline/downloads/ldf/BrightonandHove_Energy_Study_Jan2013.pdf KF – yes – but a lot has changed since then so not too relevant.

SM – Is this territorial emissions rather than consumption emission? KF Yes these are territorial emissions only.

SM - Have you taken account of the ‘rebound’ effect ie when people get better insultation they crank up the heat? What is the model for economic development is there another coastal city we admire who we can learn from? Maybe even New York. KF – we have contributed a lot to city’s new economic strategy.

DA – what is the area in the city with the low level of EPC? KF - Coldean and some of Moulsecoomb, to do with high proportion of post war builds.

Scenario Modelling.

Technical advances and consumer changes are both needed to reach the ‘leading the way category’. Modelling both to 2030 and 2040.

Implementation Plan

Stakeholder engagement. Identifying climate justice issues – affordability, accessibility issues – who is most affected? Trying to engage with them. Who are stakeholders?

Internal: Energy Sector, B&H business, Public Sector, Delivery partners and Services

Community: A broad range of groups.

External: Range of people here.

Matrix by power and interest. KF – Rampion is high power – low interest. KE - surely we can engage them more – they do a lot of subsidies for business in the city

KE - SGN – gas provider – why are they a key partner when we need to reduce gas? KF - Good point.

Web Page on https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/climate-action/net-zero-brighton-hove

SM: (via chat) Add MET to stakeholder list and think tanks link Climate:Change.

KE: Clarify Territorial and Consumption emissions difference?

KF: Territorial is Scope 1 & 2. Consumption is Scope 3. Anything combusted is Scope 1. Scope 2 is electricity from national grid. Scope 3 is what we buy, eat and where waste goes etc.

KE: Carbon Neutral Communities work in Hove is showing how things can be done differently.

DA – B&H FOE put on an event connecting BHESCO with range of partners and identified the bits of the city that are by the coast that have significant issues with energy.

SM: Domestic consumption of heating and transport are the largest contributors of emissions in the city. National govt needs to be a key stakeholder nationally. KF: New national govt money is very unlikely, even if govt changes as Labour dropping pledges. SM: Need to have clearer asks ready for national govt in case money comes available.

KE: Council still installing gas boilers in social housing – not good at all. B&HCC should submit a bid to improve social housing emissions.

KF: National govt programmes - Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund are both available soon.

Meeting with Councillors

Who goes? Confirmed as 5pm on 18th March. People already agreed to go: AH, DA, KE, LG, SM. Who else wants go? From group KF and NY asked and were agreed. SP suggested David Greenfield and Peter Gallizzi (PG). People agreed it needs to be reps of CCWG group. DG is on a working group does that count? MA to check and also to check if ME is able to attend. Re PG – if NY is going then Exec committee of BHCA is represented so that means PG not needed.

SP – should I prep an info sheet for councillors? SM and MA suggested that councillors don’t usually have time to read in advance of such meetings, so best to liaise with other members of BHCA who can attend and prep what we say at the meeting. Could offer to follow up with more info instead.

Topics. We have an hour and want to be focused, and need 5 min intro to CCWG and probably 5 mins to close off, so agreed to choose 5 topics for 10 minutes each. Discussed the value of adding Decarbonisation and Economic strategy which were agreed to be prioritised therefore something has to go and it was agreed that Carbon Sinks needs a group discussion first and could be added at later meeting. SP also suggested we ask Councillors for ongoing regular meetings.

After Intro to CCWG, five topics agreed:

1. Economic Strategy.
2. Decarbonisation Strategy.
3. Climate Action Centre.
4. Waste minimisation.
5. Community Engagement.

We need a different person to lead on each – people going to the meeting please think what you will be prepared to lead on.

Reviewing ToRs

AH explained that some people feeling excluded from decisions re agenda setting, who comes to meetings and who chairs groups. Proposal is to create a separate Agenda Setting group. Do people want this and if so who on it? SM suggested it was unnecessary and extra admin when current set up working fine. SP made case that he felt excluded. Others thought formal group not necessary. MA agreed to follow up with SP to find a solution to ensure he had input on key decisions.

MEETING ENDS.