Beyond the ‘Wilful Individual’: An effective local authority response to the new UK Climate Change Programme Simon Roberts Centre for Sustainable Energy The National Home Energy Conference, Blackpool, 16 May 2006

Introduction n What’s right about the new Climate Change Programme n What the new CCP can mean for local authorities n Why we need more than ‘Wilful Individuals’ n Focusing on performance improvement n The Matrix approach – creating a performance framework for carbon management by local authorities n The Easington experience n Implications for policies, programmes and practices to drive performance improvement

Why local authorities? n Many existing roles and functions of local authorities have direct impact on carbon emissions (planning, housing, education, economic development, regulatory enforcement, direct contact with citizens, civic leadership etc) n Local is the scale at which many of required changes take place – beyond the reach of national initiatives n Impact depends on approach taken, which may be driven by carbon management priorities or (more likely) not n Most local authorities are not engaged - & don’t need to be

The new CCP “The Government wants to see a significant increase in the level of engagement by local government in climate change issues” n CCP accepted research led by CSE that concluded that it needed to raise priority at senior level and embed carbon management across all relevant local authority activities n Introduce climate change into the new performance framework for local authorities to secure senior engagement and drive improvement n Less ‘best practice’, more performance improvement guidance n New PPS on climate change

Beyond the ‘Wilful Individual’ n Decent performance on some aspect of carbon emission reduction at local level has almost always been due to the presence of a ‘Wilful Individual’ n Competent, knowledgeable and dogged professionals who don’t take ‘no’ for an answer n They tend to be used as the ‘best practice’ examples which are then paraded in front of everyone else n Can be disempowering – ‘best practice’ rarely acknowledges how much effort is needed and fails ‘build the bridge’ from usual practice n Need clearer performance improvement framework and a big stick to focus priorities within local authorities

Introducing the Matrix n The Local and Regional Carbon Management Matrix n 5 aspects of carbon management: domestic, business and public sector energy efficiency, renewables, transport n Examine the roles and levers which local authorities have available which can have carbon emission impact n Define ‘weak’, ‘fair’, ‘good’ and ‘excellent’ behaviour on each lever at local and regional levels – what would we be able to see happening? n Focused on what LA can do itself, not what might be ideal outcome if all parties were active n Creates a performance assessment tool and a guide to performance improvement

Example from the Matrix DOMESTIC E E (LOCAL) WEAKFAIRGOODEXCELLENT Energy advice provision Occasional distribution of EEAC materials Distribute EEAC materials regularly and modest funding (<£5K) Consistent support and engagement with local EEAC including funding, joint promotions, own staff training As 'good' plus clear policy of training and supporting front-line staff in energy efficiency advice and signposting

The Easington experience n Working with Easington DC to establish baseline carbon emissions and climate change action plan n Already doing some good things on some aspects n Used Matrix to benchmark current performance n “The Matrix was an excellent tool… it highlighted opportunities to improve performance and allowed us to focus on specific areas for improvement.” Cliff Duff n Now using Matrix to develop action plan and set goals for improvement (‘fair’ to ‘good’ etc)

Next steps n Shift from the ‘copy best practice’ paradigm in existing support and advice programmes for local authorities n Focus them instead on setting out the steps for improvement from each LA’s current level of performance n Use Matrix – or something like it – to benchmark current practice and develop tailored improvement plans n Embed carbon management across all local authority activities – not simply a ‘bolt on’ n Make sure senior LA leaders know that climate change will be key element of new performance framework – so get a head-start now

Report including the Matrix is at Contact