1 SCCD Year 4 reporting Review of leadership, governance, partnership and area-wide action Phil Matthews Partner CAG Consultants

2SCCD Year 4 review: SSN Quarterly Introduction CAG reviewed sections 1 (Governance), 3 (Area Emissions) and 5 (Partnership Working) Analysis done using a standard template – based on PBD Guidance and RPP CAG also working with SSN to consider ways of enhancing future reporting Looking to highlight good practice and also provide commentary on the variations in current reporting

3SCCD Year 4 review: SSN Quarterly Governance, Leadership and Management Reviewed against 6 criteria: Provide clear, consistent and comparable information Link climate change reporting with existing reporting requirements and the Councils own performance improvement agenda Show clearly how climate change is being integrated into council and Community Planning agendas, especially through Single Outcome Agreements (SOAs) Highlight key achievements and initiatives Demonstrate how local authorities are assessing impact and influence Show how the council is communicating with the community - reports should be easy to understand and available to the public

4SCCD Year 4 review: SSN Quarterly Clear, consistent and comparable information All reports apart from Fife (which prepared a detailed ‘carbon report’) were in line with the template and guidance Significant variation in the level and presentation of information, particularly for area emissions Some councils provide detail on specific work, others more general statements Need for greater use of data and evidence

5SCCD Year 4 review: SSN Quarterly Link climate change reporting with other reporting Not clear from many reports whether the LA has a climate strategy or what reporting arrangement are Limited reporting on targets Mixed level of detail on governance structures Some councils have senior officials/Members involved in climate change Focus of some, particularly smaller authorities, on corporate action Public Bodies Duties do appear to be driving a refresh of governance in a number of authorities

6SCCD Year 4 review: SSN Quarterly Integration with Community Planning and SOA Most provide some information on CPP and SOA Detail on reporting structures in many, a few less clear Only very few report on progress against CPP indicators and targets – Perth and Kinross a good example Again Public Bodies Duties noted as a driver for action

7SCCD Year 4 review: SSN Quarterly Highlight key achievements Many examples of good practice contained in the reports: – Green economy – Borders and Orkney – Carbon management – Fife – Strategic framework – Sustainable Edinburgh 2020 – Area indicators and reporting – Perth and Kinross – Procurement – South Ayrshire – Engagement – Stirling – Collaborative working – Glasgow and Clyde Valley Green Network

8SCCD Year 4 review: SSN Quarterly Assessing impact and influence Only a few provide a detailed framework for action at the community level Financial and Carbon Reporting – very limited – Fife only council to provide detail Many refer to e.g. renewable energy developments that are not related to local authority action Limited reference to use of appraisal tools or SEA/Sustainability Appraisal

9SCCD Year 4 review: SSN Quarterly Communicating with the community Some reports more accessible to the public than others Good use of diagrams and visual information in a few Many LAs engaging with staff, particularly around CMP Community wide engagement less evident. Often based around Climate Challenge Fund Many examples of stakeholder engagement

10SCCD Year 4 review: SSN Quarterly Area emissions Most LAs provide data on production emissions (DECC), far fewer on consumption Many provide trend data and sectoral data Reporting of action on specific sectors (e.g. Energy, Waste, Transport) more limited Behaviour change – Climate Challenge Fund, also Eco-schools

11SCCD Year 4 review: SSN Quarterly Area emissions Energy – some good practice e.g. Aberdeen CHP, Argyll and Bute Energy Action Plan Homes and Communities – most focus on UHIS etc, otherwise limited Business and Public Sector – CPP working Transport – not widely addressed, no mention on negative impacts Land use – some areas such as Argyll and Bute huge sink potential Waste – in general only reporting against requirements

12SCCD Year 4 review: SSN Quarterly Recommendations A more detailed reporting template would be helpful to local authorities and in analysing progress Particularly useful would be: – To note whether a LA has a climate strategy and if so what it covers – To provide clear guidance on what trend data on area emissions is expected – To ask specifically for information on procurement and behaviour change – To provide information under all 6 headings for area emissions, as in RPP

13SCCD Year 4 review: SSN Quarterly Contact Phil Matthews CAG Consultants 94 Orchard Brae Avenue Edinburgh EH4 2GB