Issue - meetings

That:

1)               the proposal to deliver a Community Deliberative Process for the Climate Emergency through deliberative peer groups and e-panels to engage the community with the Council’s response to climate change be approved;

2)               £46,000 be approved to fund the delivery of Community Deliberative Process for the Climate Emergency as described in the proposal (as set out in Appendix A to the report); 

3)               the key objectives and outcomes of the process for wider engagement with the community to empower stakeholders including but not limited to, Wokingham Borough residents, young people, community groups and the business community to play as full a role as possible in achieving a net-zero carbon borough by 2030 be noted;  

4)               that it be noted that the outcomes and recommendations from the process will be taken to Council next year with the commitment that their feasibility will be explored by Officers. Officers will report back to Council to inform which recommendations will be incorporated into the Climate Emergency Action Plan to support further action. 

The Executive considered a report setting out a proposal for the delivery of a Community Deliberative Process for Climate Emergency. 

The Deputy Executive Member for Equalities, Poverty, the Arts and Climate Emergency introduced the report and reminded the meeting that the Executive had previously decided to engage local residents and businesses in a community deliberative process for the climate emergency.  After extensive review a proposal had been developed, as set out in the report.

Councillor Blumenthal confirmed the importance of constantly engaging with residents to get the behaviour change that would be required for the Borough to be net zero carbon by 2030 and this involved listening to their needs, concerns and ambitions.  The proposal had been designed to enable the Council to engage with a diverse range of people across the Borough and it was intended that residents would start engaging with the deliberative process in the new year.

RESOLVED that:

1)               the proposal to deliver a Community Deliberative Process for the Climate Emergency through deliberative peer groups and e-panels to engage the community with the Council’s response to climate change be approved;

2)               £46,000 be approved to fund the delivery of Community Deliberative Process for the Climate Emergency as described in the proposal (as set out in Appendix A to the report); 

3)               the key objectives and outcomes of the process for wider engagement with the community to empower stakeholders including but not limited to, Wokingham Borough residents, young people, community groups and the business community to play as full a role as possible in achieving a net-zero carbon borough by 2030 be noted;  

4)               that it be noted that the outcomes and recommendations from the process will be taken to Council next year with the commitment that their feasibility will be explored by Officers. Officers will report back to Council to inform which recommendations will be incorporated into the Climate Emergency Action Plan to support further action.