Reading Climate Change Partnership Strategy Review

Overview

In 2013, the Reading Climate Change Partnership (RCCP) launched its climate change strategy: ‘Reading Means Business on Climate Change’. Produced in partnership with a range of key stakeholders, the strategy outlines Reading’s response to climate change. It was agreed that the strategy would be reviewed and updated at its mid-point in 2016/17. We are now seeking your comments on the strategy and action plans, as part of this review.

Background

'Reading Means Business on Climate Change' identifies a series of ‘strategic priorities’ for action over eight separate but cross-cutting themes. Each theme has an action plan, with actions ranging from detailed statutory obligations, to the aims and aspirations of various voluntary groups. Each of the eight themes’ chapters and action plans were authored by a ‘theme lead’. The original version of the strategy, and its accompanying action plan, can be found on the Reading Climate Action Network website.

As agreed at the time of publication, the Partnership has undertaken a review of the strategy half way through its implementation period in 2016/17. This review has not sought to fundamentally alter the strategy's original aims and direction. Instead, the strategy’s ‘theme leads’ have taken the opportunity to reshape and update the strategic priorities and associated action plans.

The aim of the review is to:

• update and simplify the strategic priorities
• reflect changes in the national and international policy context;
• pay greater attention to how Reading can adapt to the effects of climate change;
• remove actions that have been completed or cannot be resourced

It should be noted that the updated list of strategic priorities and action points are draft proposals, and have yet not been finalised by the Partnership.

Your feedback and comments are very much welcomed. However it may not be possible to adopt all of your suggestions. Each theme lead has worked hard to ensure that the actions proposed in the action plans are achievable within the 2020 timeframe and has carefully liaised with delivery partners to support this. In making your response, please note that the strategy is designed to align with national and international policies, but our ambitions are limited by the resources available to each delivery partner. As such, any suggestions for new action points need to have a funding source, or replace an existing action point.

Our intention is to build upon a positive and valuable strategy that we can successfully deliver by 2020, and your input will help us do so. It will also provide us with a strong foundation for 2020, when a new climate change strategy (with a complete review of strategic priorities) will be launched.

Why your views matter

When the strategy was published, it was agreed that it would be reviewed and updated at its mid-point in 2016/17. We are now seeking your comments on the strategy and action plans, as part of this review (draft versions of the updated strategy and the action plans, categorised into each theme, are available in the attached documents on the next page).

What happens next

Your feedback will be collated and distributed to the strategy's 'theme leads' for consideration.