Fit for the Future: LEPs and Climate Change Good Practice Conference

Date of Conference
8 March 2016

Speakers

Simon Slater (SWM Associate, Chair) Richard Stockdale (Environment Agency, welcoming address) Alan Carr (SWM, report overview) Good practice speakers: Jane Baker (Cheshire & Warrington LEP) Tara Verrell (Birmingham City Council – Greater Birmingham & Solihull LEP) Matt Hullis (Suffolk County Council – New Anglia LEP) Melanie Taylor (Leeds City Region LEP) Panelists: Ruth Binny (DECC) Chris Saville (Environment Agency) Mike Grace (Natural England) Dan Griffiths (Climate UK) Todd Holden (ENWORKS) Mark Joslyn (DCLG)

Purpose of the Conference

The Fit for the Future Conference, ran in partnership with the Environment Agency, brought together representatives from LEPs from all over the country to share good practice on climate change adaptation, mitigation and a low carbon economy and to gain support from key national bodies on this agenda. The event started with a welcoming address from Richard Stockdale, Area Manager at the Environment Agency and SWM Board member, who emphasised the point of partnership working, making connections and how action in this area will affect all of our future’s. Delegates then heard from a suite of excellent speakers from four different LEP areas, who provided an overview of how they have embraced the climate change and low carbon agenda and incorporated action and projects within their LEP priorities. After lunch, national bodies including DCLG, DECC, the Environment Agency, Natural England, ENWORKS and Climate UK provided their pitches in terms of how they can support LEPs around this agenda, and delegates were then able to discuss in groups what their key issues and barriers are to effective climate change action and fire questions back at the panel. We would like to thank all speakers, panelists and all delegates for their participation and questions/discussion in the workshop sessions of the Conference. All presentations can be found below. The conference was ran in conjunction with the publication of the Fit for the Future report.

Feedback from the Conference

98% of delegates who completed an evaluation form (29 in total) considered the Conference to be good to excellent in terms of it’s organisation and content, with 90% of delegates feeling that the aims had been met to an excellent or good standard. “Very, very useful. Gave me lots of ideas on how to progress with our LEP and their knowledge of low carbon / climate change adaptation.” “Case studies provided excellent inspiration to demonstrate what can be achieved. Sharing documents and models will continue to be invaluable.” “Audience largely consisted of supporters / converts; the challenge is engaging others in taking this agenda forward, especially at senior level.”

Further Support and Contact Information

Climate UK provides support for LEPs; click here for details. For more information about this or our work with LEPs more generally, contact enquiries@swm.org.uk or call 0121 237 5890.