Climate Emergency: Practical actions and long-term policy goals for Northern Ireland Local Councils

Thursday 5 March 2020

5 Drumaness Rd, Ballynahinch BT24 8LS

 

View the programme here

 

About the seminar

As councils across the UK declare Climate Emergencies this event for APSE member local councils is designed to explore the current policy context of climate change actions by local councils and the public sector. This seminar will provide both an overview of the challenges and opportunities for both adaptation and mitigation strategies as well as offering some practical solutions to help frontline services deal with the challenges of greening local services.

This event will provide an interactive environment in which to explore the issues facing local councils as well as future action planning and networking to share ideas and successes.

Who should attend?

The Climate Emergency is not isolated to anyone service or specialism and should be viewed holistically across all local council services and portfolios. Therefore we encourage attendance from:-

• Elected Councillors including leaders and portfolio holders
• Sustainability and energy officers
• Chief Executives, Senior Managers and Frontline Service Managers
• Northern Ireland Public Agencies and statutory bodies

 

Presentations

 

Opening Remarks: The Bigger Picture - Climate Change and Councils across the UK

• Climate change actions by councils across the UK

• Route maps to action: short, mid and long-term plans

• The policy dynamics of climate change in a council context

• It’s not just about carbon! Ecology, Economy, Environment

• Interface with frontline council services

Mo Baines, APSE, Head of Communications and Coordination

 

Belfast City Council; Resilience Strategy

• The Belfast Resilience Strategy

• A low carbon resilient economy

• Innovate UK funding for on-street EV infrastructure

• Developing hydrogen refuelling in the city

Grainia Long, Belfast Commissioner for Resilience, Belfast City Council

 

Local Authority Climate Action – Northern Ireland

• Drivers for climate action – Impacts, Policy, Ethics

and Emergency Declarations

• Climate Action Planning – Resources &

Commitment, Data & Information, Processes

• The challenges and opportunities

• North West Regional Energy Strategy

Cathy Burns, Climate Programme Manager, Leo Strawbridge, Energy Manager, Derry City and Strabane District Council

 

Sustainable NI

• Our priorities for action: What do we need to support effective action?

• Balancing mitigation and adaptation strategies

• Sustainable development: Sustainable economic growth for Northern Ireland

• What are the big asks for local councils?

Nichola Hughes, Executive Director, Sustainable NI

 

Electric vehicles and fleet: Are they achievable in Northern Ireland Councils?

• When will the tipping point arrive for electric vehicles?

• What about infrastructure, generation and storage?

• How can the local authority engage in developing viable schemes for local areas?

Sebastian Street, Development Manager, Gridserve

 

Making your assets including leisure centres greener

• The impact of energy on civic and public buildings

• The high energy burn: Leisure centres

• What actions can you take in the short, medium and long-term to reduce the carbon footprint of

your assets?

Alan Barber, APSE Energy Associate

 

The importance of Biodiversity for Climate Action

• The CANN Project: ‘Collaborative Action for the Natura Network

• An INTERREG Funded Project

• The importance of biodiversity and peatland habitats for climate action

Shane McGivern, CANN Project Manager, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council