130 likes | 303 Views
SCCD Year 4 reporting. Review of leadership, governance, partnership and area-wide action Phil Matthews Partner CAG Consultants. Introduction. CAG reviewed sections 1 (Governance), 3 (Area Emissions) and 5 (Partnership Working)
E N D
SCCD Year 4 reporting Review of leadership, governance, partnership and area-wide action Phil Matthews Partner CAG Consultants
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 SCCD 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 SCCD 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 SCCD 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 SCCD 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 SCCD 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 SCCD 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 SCCD 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 SCCD 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 SCCD 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 impactsLand use – some areas such as Argyll and Bute huge sink potential • Waste – in general only reporting against requirements SCCD 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 SCCD Year 4 review: SSN Quarterly
Contact Phil Matthews CAG Consultants 94 Orchard Brae Avenue Edinburgh EH4 2GB pm@cagconsult.co.uk www.cagconsultants.co.uk SCCD Year 4 review: SSN Quarterly