UK Climate Change Programme 2006 - JNCC - Defra

Public sector
107
The Nottingham Declaration on climate change
The Nottingham Declaration was launched in October 2000. The Declaration is a voluntary pledge to
address the issues of climate change, signed by the Leader and Chief Executive of a council. In signing it,
councils are committing to ensure that tackling climate change is a cornerstone of the council's strategy.
So far, over 100 local authorities have signed the Declaration, each pledging to actively tackle climate
change within their area.
The Declaration was recently re-launched and will soon be accompanied by a much improved support
package that shows councils how to develop a sustainable energy strategy.
10. The Government will also publish a report
on ways in which local authorities can
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
alleviate fuel poverty, within 18 months of
the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy
Bill’s commencement. Local authorities will
have to have regard to this report in carrying
out their functions. The Bill, currently before
Parliament, is sponsored by Mark Lazarowicz and
supported by the Government.
11. The Government will ensure that there are no
unfunded new burdens created. In keeping with
this commitment the Government and its
agencies will:
• fund a new £4m local government best
practice support programme, to be
launched in 2006-7. This programme will be
delivered through the new local authority led
Improvement Partnerships being set up in
every region in conjunction with the 7
Sustainable Energy Beacons. The programme
will aim to proactively benchmark the
performance of local authorities on climate
change and sustainable energy and target
those who need the most help to raise their
performance. It will help local authorities to
access existing sources of expertise, support
and funding, on sustainable energy and
climate change by the EST and the Carbon
Trust, as well as external sources of support,
such as the Nottingham Declaration and UK
Home Energy Conservation Association;
• to assist this HM Treasury announced in
Budget 2006 that it will host a seminar that
will bring together central and local
government to encourage the further
dissemination of best practice and innovation;
• provide further resources to local
authorities to invest in energy saving on
their own estate through the Carbon
Trust’s Local Authority Energy Financing
Scheme, which will be developed into a
public sector revolving loan fund following the
announcement of an additional investment
of £20m in the 2005 Pre-Budget Report.
This is discussed in more detail elsewhere
in this chapter;
• as set out in the Domestic Sector chapter, the
Government has announced £20 million over
the next two years, to help local authorities
and others work in partnership with energy
companies to promote and incentivise energy
efficiency measures to households; and
• work with the Local Government
Association (LGA) and others, to review
thoroughly existing requirements on, and
guidance to, local authorities on
sustainable energy and climate change.
Within this, the Government is committed to
a realignment of existing resources away from
process (for example the preparation of
reports) and towards outcomes (for example
carbon savings, delivered in a way most
appropriate for the local area) – so that,
combined with funding available to local
authorities, consideration of the inclusion
of a focus on climate change in the new
performance framework does not represent a