Breaking News- Climate Change Action Plan released

The climate change action plan for Manchester, which MCFly has been reporting on all year, is now available for all to see. It has been released ahead of next Wednesday's Executive Meeting, at which it will be formally accepted.

The link above points to a 77 page pdf. The first 11 pages are a summary of the implications for the Council, written in Councilese. They matter, but what matters the most is the Plan itself. It's been named "Manchester- A Certain Future. Our co2llective action on climate change" It is 64 pages long, and contains a foreword by Sir Richard Leese (Council Leader) and five chapter headings, around "Living, Working, Moving, Growing and Adapting."

We quote from page 5

Our plan has two headline objectives:

1: To reduce the city of Manchester’s emissions of CO2 by 41% by 2020, from 2005 levels. This equates to a reduction from current levels of 3.2 million tonnes per annum to less than two million; it also equates to a reduction in per capita emissions from 7.3 tonnes to 4.3 tonnes per head.
Manchester’s emissions of CO2 derive mostly from our use of fossil fuels and are directly related to the use of buildings, products, transport and industrial activities. We can lower these emissions by reducing our demand and use of energy; altering the technologies used for energy generation; and changing the sources of the fuels we use from fossil fuels to renewables. Our plan sets out ways of adopting and applying these three approaches across different sectors and scales.

2: To engage all individuals, neighbourhoods and organisations in Manchester in a process of cultural change that embeds ‘low carbon thinking’ into the lifestyles and operations of the city.

To create a ‘low carbon culture’ we need to build a common understanding of the causes and implications of climate change, and to develop programmes of ‘carbon literacy’ and ‘carbon accounting’ so that new culture can become part of the daily lives of all individuals and organisations. Every one of the actions in our plan will contribute in some way to the development of ‘carbon literacy’ in the city. However, achieving a new low carbon culture – where thinking about counting carbon is embedded and routine – can only be delivered as a
result of all the actions together, in an overall co-ordinated manner. Enabling a low carbon culture in the city will be particularly important if the challenge of meeting even more demanding carbon reduction targets between 2020 and 2050 is to be met.

Actions to meet these targets are set out under five chapter headings – Living, Working, Moving, Growing and Adapting. Each chapter makes it clear what Manchester is going to do to meet the challenges posed by climate change, along with the changes we need to make as individuals, communities and businesses.

The editors of Manchester Climate Fortnightly would urge all Mancunians who care about their future to read the document carefully and actively. We need to come up with better ideas, tough questions and suggestions for improvement. The next two years are crucial for Manchester's future. We would urge Mancunians to get involved in making this Action Plan a reality.

MCFly 035- Can't Run, Can't Hide

World leaders meet in Copenhagen this December to discuss whether our species wants its civilisation to continue (that's no exaggeration, it IS that stark). Today, as we publish a slightly-earlier-than-usual MCFly, some readers will be among those 'swooping' on the second biggest coal-fired power station in the UK. They aim to shut it down (non-violently) and then use the momentum and skills gained to go to Copenhagen. Other readers will attend a conference entitled "Climate Action Now," organised by the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, who focus on a march called “the Wave” on December 5th, in London. We wish both sets of readers a safe and informative time of it.

Both events are organised by highly motivated and dedicated people, and will be attended by Mancunians who care passionately about justice for unborn generations and for other species on this planet. All work hard at what they do. But they only have so much time, so much energy, and with the end of the Copenhagen-process in sight, there is a deadly important challenge to turn their attentions to. We refer of course to ... Manchester City Council.

MCFly has been reporting all year about the creation of a Climate Change Action Plan for the city of Manchester. In January the Council released its "Call to Action." In April, local campaigners with no money but a lotta bottle released their "Call to Real Action." The Council sat up and took notice, using the C2RA methodology to create writing groups around buildings, energy, transport, green spaces and sustainable consumption. Most writers came from the Council, academia, and business, with a smattering of Concerned Citizens.

That plan – which also acknowledges the need to adapt to inevitable changes ahead - is now in the very very final stages of drafting and re-shaping for public consumption. It will be ratified on November 18 and commits Manchester to a 41% cut in its emissions by 2020. The Call to Real Action group will be launching its response and its vision of “A day in the life of a low-carbon Mancunian” on Monday November 30.

The desired 'outreach and engagement' during the writing process was weak to non-existent. But the Council has tried, and knows it must do better. It held a well-attended mini-Conference on Monday October 12th (see the MCFly blog for a report). It knows the Plan will need revision (it prefers the term 'iterative process' – it sounds more scientific). It knows it cannot do this alone. MCFly knows that bureaucratic inertia, political realities and the inevitable funding cuts ahead threaten the Plan's success. Without critical friends, who relentlessly poke with kind words and sharp metaphorical sticks, this Plan will be just another glossy document sat on the shelf. Whether you believe in d-locks or ballot boxes, both or neither, we can surely all agree that can't happen. We can't run, we can't hide. We must act.

Timetable

Thurs Nov 5- Call to Real Action meeting at Friends Meeting House, from 7pm
Weds Nov 11- the Climate Change Action Plan becomes publicly available ahead of...
Weds Nov 18- it is ratified by Manchester City Council's Executive meeting
Late November- some sort of official launch event (Health Warning: May contain moppets)
Mon Nov 30- Call to Real Action's responses are launched at Nexus Cafe, Dale St from 7pm.
December A Council-led festival from Sunday 13th to coincide with the second week of the Copenhagen Climate Conference.
2010 The real fun and games of 'delivery delivery delivery' and further 'iterations'.

From words to action (plans)

This is a LONG blog post, so here is the take home: Manchester City Council hosted a surprisingly “open” meeting that seems to have generated a lot of good ideas (more on that later!) and left people with a sense of where this process is headed, and why. But talk is cheap, and delivery is everything, as the Council itself acknowledged. So, time will tell if we look back on this conference as more waffle or the first step on the road to sanity and survival.

After coffee and schmoozing, the “Three Richards” kicked the day off
Richard Cowell, Executive Member for the Environment (the local Ed Miliband, sort of) was pleased at the great turnout, a sign that people were committed to “forward looking" and living and working in a prosperous low carbon city.

He thanked the Environmental Advisory Panel, the members of the writing groups (over 100 people involved) and he thanked the Green City team and other Council officers for their hard work. He also specifically mentioned that he was inspired by the Call to Real Action, (he brandished a copy) not just for its ambition, but also in its way of working (and we know how vulnerable that lot are to the old "de-fanging through praise" tactic).

He pointed out that the Action Plan was a plan for Manchester, not just the Council, and that Manchester was a city that other towns and cities looked to for a lead. He wanted people to leave from today's Conference feeling that they were part of a process, inspired and ready to work in 2010 towards 2020 and beyond

Richard Leese, leader of the Council and blogger extraordinaire, followed him and started with a reference to the Greenpeace protesters on the roof of Parliament (who knows where some of us who were in the hall today might be this time next year, Richard, if that's what's needed...). He said it was important so many people were in the room to help the process along, but that there was a lot of work to do on behaviour change more broadly. He highlighted the importance of the next few years for 2020 but also 2050 and beyond. He pointed out that by 2050 he wouldn't be leading the council (you never know...) but that the next 10 years were vital for our long term future.

Climate change was, he said, a challenge and an opportunity, and that thinking and acting on opportunities like this "made Manchester what it is and what it will be." Low carbon living would have to become “embedded, routine, automatic”, the city would have to generate and use low carbon energy. By 2020 all new buildings would be carbon neutral, with some carbon negative.
There'd be new industries, and opportunities (that word again) to be national leaders.

He said that the Draft plan built on existing strategies and that there were four overriding themes to it.

1) Climate change would affect everyone and therefore everyone had a part ot play, as individuals, in neighbourhoods, in businesses etc.

2) Nobody (“especially the council, some would say” he added sotto voce) has all the answers. The Action Plan doesn't replace but rather assists and connects existing plans

3) The Council would have to lead by example. Manchester is the biggest Local Authority to sign up to the 10:10 campaign, which he admitted would not be easy to reach.

4) The plan was not the finished article, but would be evolving and innovating

When the Call to Action was agreed, the target was “at least a million tonnes”, and that has now become a percentage target of “41% lower than 2005 levels, which is in the region of 1.25 million tonnes.

Some of this would come from projects already happening, some from national policy, but over half the savioniswould have to come from new projects. Leese finished by saying that the price of carbon was set to challenge the price of oil as an economic barometer in the future, and that producing this first version was part of the engagement with the international process, that he would be taking a copy to Copenhagen for discussion with other leaders of the big cities.

Finally, Richard Sharland, the director of Environmental Strategy spoke. He outlined the background to the Plan, which is mostly looking at mitigation (reducing emissions), with some elements of adaptation. He re-iterated that this was an “iterative” process (i.e. That it would change through dialogue and reflection and new information coming to hand) . He (rightly) said that it was a sign of boldness and strength to admit that the plan will have to change. He was emphatic that the plan must not be a glossy document that sat on the shelf.

On “governance” he said that there would be lots more work to do in 2010, on targets, involvement and resources. He felt that the first objective- of reducing carbon emissions by a million tonnes was crucial, but so two was the second objective of creating a cultural shift towards low carbon living. That was partly why there was such a focus on cultural change and engagement.

He highlighted that as of 2013 the City will be using a “Total Carbon Footprint,” and thus including the embedded carbon (from the production of goods imported to Manchester)

He gave examples of just how challenging some of the actions in the plan would be- the cost of insulating 170,000 homes would be in the region of a billion pounds, and then invoked the spirit of Kirklees, where £1 invested results in £4 flowing back into the economy. He cited Toronto, Berlin and Melbourne as examples of big cities that have tackled this.

He said there would be an annual conference about the Action Plan, and a steering group. The conference would be a chance for annual review and continuous improvement. There would need to be endorsements by stakeholder organisations links to existing (governance) structures.

There would, obviously, need to be delivery plans for key actions, for actions already in the plan and those not yet devised.

He closed by saying the conference today was not an editing/technical run through, but a chance to discuss engagement and 'sector priorities'. How could we take this process, he asked, from the 160 people in the room to 1600, to 16,000, to 160,000. Rather a good question, actually....

Workshop One
We were all of us assigned (randomly before lunch) to tables, and asked to talk about how culture change happens and what would 'work'. Personally I am not convinced this was the best use of our limited time, but hey-ho, it's what all the tables did.
Because of some fairly (unnecessarily) lengthy introductions about what we were supposed to do, we didn't get to the real meat of the matter- what are the barriers for action, before we broke for lunch.

A word on lunch.
On the very plus side, the food was lovely and locally sourced. On the mildly minus side, we had a bit too long for schmoozing and networking (and this, from the guy trying to foist MCFlys on all and sundry!)

Questions, questions
After lunch, in the 'graveyard shift' the head of the Green City Team, Bev Taylor ran us through an interesting “quiz.” We all had little handheld devices on which to press A, B, C, D, E or F to a series of questions she posed. (She assured us that these were anonymous, but it's MCFly's sad duty to report that one participant was mercilessly coshed and dragged away by goons for giving insufficiently adulatory answers. Good luck Pat Karney, wherever you are).

I did copy down all the results (you say "OCD", I say "reflex"). The age range was thus; 14-20; 8 people, 21-35; 29, 36-50; 43, 51 to 65; 12 and over 65; 3. For a conference about the future, this is not good at all! I shan't detain y'all with too much info on this, you can find it in the technical appendix. They asked how many people thought the plan went too far versus not far enough versus just right (The goldilocks problem). Not far enoughs won with 45, versus too far 21, just right 23 and don't know 7.

This sort of thing is potentially very useful, and the Council is to be applauded for using the technology better than it was used last year at the Community Strategy conference, and also for asking questions that did have some 'embarrassing outcomes.' Next time they could take ideas for what questions to ask the whole audience, beyond the demographic ones, and use it at the beginning and end of the day to see what (if anything) has changed.

For the second workshop we were sat in tables based on whether we were business, community groups, education or regional/national government, and we were also sort of encouraged to move from table to table if we so desired (without the law of two feet being explicitly invoked).

We were asked which actions were most important in the plan, or, if we werent' familiar with the plan, what actions should be in there. Again, this was perhaps a mis-framing, and I saw some people vote with their feet and leave at this point. If you are going to ask people to stay beyond lunch, there has to be a clear rationale and set of ways they can really feel useful. Sitting in a group of ten with variable facilitation is not it, simply. We were then asked to look at what the “easy wins” might be.

These were being typed up and displayed on a huge screen as...

Richard Sharland put us out of our misery with the penultimate speech.
He asked people to email him the “one thing they'll do” to campaigns.team@manchester.gov.uk.

Here's MCFly's- "we are going to keep holding your feet to the fire every way we know how (and ask our readers if they have some other ways in mind). And should the flames be insufficiently fun for our purposes, we will send out scouring parties for more (locally sourced and carbon neutral) firewood."

The final draft of the plan, with comments and ideas integrated over the 2 to 3 weeks, be accepted by the Executive, go to the Manchester Board for adoption. In 2010 they'd be seeking endorsement from other organisations, and working on a template to relate those organisations actions to the CCAP.

The City Council would also obviously be working on its delivery plan (see below), and he finished with a brief plug for the Council's December Climate Change Festival

Vicky Rosin, assistant chief exec of the City Council (as big a cheese you get without being Howard Bernstein) was next, citing and whole-heartedly endorsing something she'd seen on one of the tables- “delivery delivery delivery.” On a welcome personal note, she pointed out that while she wouldn't be around in 2050, her daughter would be, and her children. She then closed the meeting by thanking all for their input.

Who was there
In these situations it's good to assess the audience broken down by age and sex. And yes, most of them looked like they were.

Who wasn't there? Oh, you know this by now- the young, the black, the muslims, the poor. Plus ca change and all that...

So, one and three quarters thumbs up. Next time (and especially for the mooted youth conference):

• Fewer people per table, better briefed facilitators (obviously you either then have a smaller conference, or more table, which means more facilitators. You could always ask the skilled C2RA crew...)
• The “overall facilitator” must use the powerpoint facilities more- that everyone can see- to explain what the task at hand is. This will mean he/she intervenes less frequently in what was free-flowing discussion that ended up being very stop-start..
• More tightly focussed questions that really get to the nub(s) of the problems (this is difficult- since there was massive information-disparity, with some people knowing the Action Plan backwards, and others not having seen it at all). e.g. Ask explicitly “what are the elephants in the room” and “how might it all go horribly wrong, and how can we make that less likely”
• Ask for what the audience wants to talk about (using open space technology)
• Make full use of the wonderful technology and wonderful facilities that the Council has.
• Feedback forms about what was good/bad/indifferent

Thanks to the Council for having the guts to think and act a little outside of its boxes (all the prodding and poking is working!). Thanks to the catering and support staff, who did (as usual) a really good job. The easy bit is over, and we all know it.

MCFly 32- Why are Climate Change Action plans like buses?

Because you wait ages (years, in fact) for one, and then two come along at once. Manchester City Council, working in partnership with businesses, academics and activists, is facilitating a "Climate Change Action Plan" to be released in November (see page 2). The "Call to Real Action" group is involved in that, and also in putting together an alternative plan. There's a survey about it to fill in here- http://tinyurl.com/lvy2lr

"Independent" "debate"

Is our democracy under threat? That was the topic up for “debate” tonight at Manchester Town Hall tonight, as sponsored by a tabloid newspaper formerly known as the Independent.

Four white university-educated men (three who went to Cambridge. The UK dominated by Oxbridge? Surely some mistake) sat above a very white audience (of probably more than average income) and talked about democracy. Is our democracy under threat? No, our current model looks in rude health

Some Indie hack called Steve Richards led off with a potted biog of Gordon Brown's ups and downs since 92. The guy has had more lives than a Time Lord cat, and apparently should not be counted out just yet.

Then Johann “repentant cruise-missile leftie” Hari kicked off.

After regaling us with the Dalai Lama's response to being called a former slave-owning theocrat and a “Buddhist death-threat” he got down to business:

The “first past the post” voting system leads to an unseemly chase for a few tens of thousands of Middle England votes and should be replaced by proportional representation.

The media is largely owned by rightwing plutocrats so right wing policies of Labour or Conservatives get no scrutiny. Hari asked how many part-time workers there were in the room (not many) and how many knew that the so-likeable Dave Cameron is planning to do over part-time workers' rights to annual leave etc.

He made the basic obvious (but not to some it seems) point that change comes from Below. (Women's rights, gay rights etc).

Anyway, Hari at least gave the right answer to the question. Yes, our democracy is under threat, from a huge set of climactic shocks that are going to kick in soon indeed. He mentioned the Middle Ages and its non-human-made climate changes, leading to a steep rise in religious nut-jobbery, riots etc, and then name-checked Darfur as presaging our water-short future etc.

He pointed to the near consensus that we are likely to see 4 degrees temperature rise in the next 50 years or so. He pointed out that a difference in four degrees during a picnic is nice, but a four degree rise in your body temperature (from 37 to 41) leaves you slightly ... dead. Crop failures, starvation etc etc....

Neil Hamilton (him of the brown envelopes from Harrods) oozed towards his microphone, the human embodiment of a badly-written UKIP leaflet so cheaply printed that great smudges of ink stain your hands, leaving you depressed and in need of soap.

Blah de blah, Hailsham, elective dictatorship blah de blah 70% of legislation from Brussels, blah blah Strasbourg blah blah Quango State blah blah Health and Safety executive blah blah.
Look, I'd have more respect for the guy if he bothered to point out where most UK foreign policy emanates- namely Washington DC. I wish all these guys whining about Brussels would just admit the UK is the 51^st state. Why are we in Afghanistan? Eh? Eh?
Hamilton closed with the crowd-pleaser (his opener fell flat) that “we need a revolution”

So Steve whatsit asked him if he thought Dave Camoeron would lead a revolution that will please Hamilton. The oily little creep replied “well, it's extremely unlikely.”

Howard Jacobson, author of a good book about Australia, wittered out some decent banalities- democracy as a a process rather than an accomplished fact, that the rage at the expenses scandal was sublimated (my term, not his, but fitting given the Freud connection of the event) rage at the bankers, about whom we could nothing.

Graham “dyslexia doesn't exist” Stringer reckons that democracy isn't under threat in the UK, but doesn't like proportional representation because the BNP got in in the North West.

Johann Hari, sat next to him, asked a straight question about PR which Stringer... didn't answer but ducked and weaved like a ducking and weaving weaselly thing. Classy.

So, at no point did Steve whoever bother to get the other panellists to respond to Hari's central claim about the impacts of climate change. What's a chair for? To make clever comments about “embryonic political alliances” between Stringer and Hamilton, or actually address some substantive issues? Don't write in, the question's clearly rhetorical...

And so from the floor we had the usual mix of sane and rational and insane and irrational comments, delivered with varying degrees of coherence and brio.

All the panellists took their (i.e. Our) time in answering. Howard Jacobson having too much fun being Howard Jacobson to do anything serious. He lobbed in a few gratuitous hand grenades about the upside of ID cards etc. Hamilton banged on about Europe. Hari and Stringer went at it hammer and tongs about the best place for the BNP. Hari's line was they get elected, but never re-elected, because they're shown to be “gang-rapists and lunatics.”

In his summing up bit, Hari also nicely skewered the increasingly swivel-eyed Hamilton on the subject of the vast European super-state. You know, that one which employs as third as many people as Manchester City Council

Here's what I would have said (polished up a bit, it's true), had Steven whoever pointed at me to ask a question

“In January Manchester City Council launched a fairly lousy document about climate change called “Call to Action.” It contained nothing substantive about consultation or engagement, and the Council went into bunker mode when asked. A group of Mancunians, with no money or office or previous experience, put together their own report in seven weeks, and now the Council has opened up its climate change planning process. You CAN make a difference, if you are determined, informed and willing to work bloody hard.

"Now, I want to know what the other panellists think of Johann Hari's take on climate change. I see three positions. One, you agree with him- in which case why didn't you say so, and mention climate change in your talk. Two, you don't know- which seems pretty cowardly and lazy for so-called public intellectuals. The material exists in digestible formats for highly educated people such as yourselves, and if you won't take the time to wrap your thinking gear around it, we really are in trouble. Or three, you DISAGREE - which you're obviously entitled to do- but then surely you should say that you disagree, and you should be able to back that up with reputable science. Otherwise, what the hell are you doing on the panel??”

Winners and losers

The Independent- maybe they're happy, but I didn't see a rugby scrum fighting over the right to sign up for quid a week subscriptions. They have, like my patients, severe problems with their circulation, and that is very very painful.

Freud Communications, the events organiser. Yeah, they emerged with dignity intact.

The speakers? Well, no-one made more of a tit of themselves than they already are I suppose. Stringer didn't get lynched by the dyslexics in the room, which must have been nice for him.

The audience? Those who got to speak, yeah. Those who got to listen? No, you know, I'm not really sure they got anything other than plonk and olives. As the late lamented Kurt Vonnegut used to say, “so it goes.”

What could have been done differently

Debates take time, so schedule more of it.

Get people talking to the people BEHIND them. This simple technique always generates huge volumes of chatter, breaks ice and who knows, can start firm friendships and even social movements, if done frequently enough.

Those speaker biogs in full

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Hari

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Stringer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Hamilton_(politician)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Jacobson

Email interview with Cllr Richard Cowell, Exec Member for the Environment

June 16th 2009

1) How happy are you with the progress of the Call to Action?

We are progressing with the catalytic actions and the Call to Action
has contributed to the debate on what needs to be done. The
publication of the Call to Real Action in response is to be welcomed
in that it widens the debate. The creation of the Environment
Implementation Board chaired by the Chief Executive which brings
together Heads of Service and representatives of other Organisations
will drive forward delivery .

2) Could you explain briefly what the Council hopes to achieve
on Climate  Change this year?
This year we look to make progress on the catalytic actions but also
to involve residents, community groups, stakeholders, business and
campaigning groups on the journey to bring about a low carbon city.
This can only be achieved by acting in an inclusive way. Key to this
will be the production of the Manchester Action Plan  this year.

3)What do you perceive to be the major opportunities?
The opportunity is that people are receptive to the need to respond
the danger of Climate Change and are keen to play their part either
individually or collectively. It is vital that we take the people of 
Manchester along with us.

4) What do you perceive to be the major challenges/obstacles?
A major challenge is time. We want to act quickly but also correctly,
especially, when it comes to spending  taxpayers money. Systems have
been put in place to ensure that the £1 million Carbon Innovation Fund
is put to work quickly in delivering change  and in leveraging other funding, 
however, a robust process has to be followed before  money is spent.

5) How would you like, specifically, to see the people of Manchester involved?
I want to see an inclusive approach to writing up the Action Plan and I see
low Carbon Communities as a vital element of our Climate Change work.
We wish to see a wide ranging engagement from Manchester people, stakeholders
and community groups that reflect the diverse nature of our city. Groups coming
forward with proposals will either receive funding from a portion  Carbon
Innovation Fund set aside for low carbon communities or be signposted to relevant
funding bodies

MCFly 022- win £5000!!

That's the prize if you can spot the words "climate change" or "debate" or "action plan" in the article to the left, copied from the latest Council magazine to fall through t'letterbox.

As reported in previous MCFlys, the "Proud Of" Campaign is supposed to be how the Council "engages" with people on Climate Change, "bring together local, grass-roots, community-based collective action to tackle climate change" and "continue the debate on mitigating climate change". The "Proud Of Manchester" website (www.beproudlovemanchester.com) has only two references to climate change, and does not even link to the Council's own Call to Action document!

It will be interesting to see the Council's assessment of its successes and failures and impacts during this, the first of four campaigns through the year.

Since they ask for suggestions (well, they imply one per person is your limit), here are some:

Actually ask people what they know,what they want to know about climate change and what the Council is doing about it.

Ask people what they think the Council should do about climate change and how they should do it.

Have copies of the Call to Action report to give out, or at least summaries of it.

File the intimidating and irrelevant "fun" surveys about irrelevant topics... in the circular file

Advertise the events properly

Have them catered properly

Host them in appropriate venues

And that's asides a few other suggestions, in the Call to Real Action, which has been delivered to the Council.

MCFly 022- What IS the Cunning Plan?

Although we are now roughly a third of the way on from January's launch of the City Council's 'Call to Action' and the proposed December launch of the "Climate Change Action Plan," the Council still isn't saying just how it will produce a strong plan that is "owned" by the people of Manchester. Given the experience of the 'Proud of' campaign so far (see page 2), there's a lot of work to be done. On the heels of the launch of the 'Call to Real Action.' (http://en4m.org.uk/?q=node/1157) the C2RA group has established a short online survey to let the people of Manchester make suggestions about what the Plan should contain, and how it should be developed.

You can fill it online; calltorealaction.wordpress.com or http://tinyurl.com/dgc4xx

MCFly 020- Answering the Call

Manchester, proud of its many “firsts”, is about to host another. A grass-roots report on climate change - and what the people and local government of Manchester can do about it - is being launched on Monday 6 April. The “Call to Real Action” is being written voluntarily by concerned citizens, who are tackling topics as diverse as health, transition, energy, fuel poverty, resilience and how the Council can engage and consult to make best use of the energy, enthusiasm and knowledge of its people.

"This is too important an issue not to be involved in,” said Jo Wilkes, of Moss Side, who is organising the launch. “As well as doing the report, we're teaching each other new skills and creating new links. The launch is part of that - with live music, a comedy set, short speeches and time to talk, swap ideas and contacts.”

Drafts of the report are appearing on the website (www.calltorealaction.wordpress.com) for anyone to comment on, and there is an opportunity to see - and comment upon - the final draft on Monday March 30 , at the Friends Meeting House, 6 Mount St. That meeting is free, and all are welcome. There will also be time to brainstorm how to keep the momentum going after the launch event.

If you can't make it, email calltorealaction@googlemail.com

MCFly 018- Call to Real Action

Earlier this year- as readers of MCFly 15 to 17 will be aware- a report called "The Call to Action" was approved by Manchester City Council. The Council had commissioned a London-based consultancy called 'Beyond Green' to write it. It's fair to say that many Mancunians concerned about climate change had mixed feelings.

While they were happy that the long wait for a climate change statement from the Council was over, at the same time they were underwhelmed by this report. They were unhappy that the 50 page document cost so much (the phrase "70 to 100 thousand pounds" has not been denied), that it ducked important issues (not merely the Airport, but also consultation and engagement) and that it was so vague on targets for reducing greenhouse gases.

However, instead of shrugging shoulders and drowning sorrows, various Mancunians have come together with a shared determination to do better (and cheaper) work.

This "Call to Real Action" group, which includes people from various campaigns and also "first- timers" has already met twice. It has discussed exactly what it wants to produce (a report of similar length but superior detail and quality), and how, and what skills to learn and share on the way. Writing groups are being formed to tackle topics as diverse as aviation, engagement, energy production, transport, food, housing, social justice, resilience and the proverbial "many many more."

The group is asking (and plans to answer!) a set of questions about what actions the Council can and should take, what actions the people of Manchester can take to both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the inevitable changes that are now 'locked in' because of the too-slow response to scientific warnings over the last twenty years.

Although work has already started, it is not too late to get involved, and there are lots of specific jobs that will need doing that do not take much time or specialised skills.

For more information about how to get involved and see the work as it unfolds, see www.calltorealaction.wordpress.com. If you've questions, suggestions, contacts, you can contact calltorealaction@googlemail.com. There is also conference on Saturday 7th March from 1.30pm to 5pm at the Central Hall, Oldham St, Manchester, where all the above questions will be discussed.

[Declaration of interest: MCFly editors are involved in the above group.]

Call to Real Action Conference on March 7th

1.30pm-5pm

Central Hall, Oldham St.

To talk about what Manchester SHOULD look like, what we want the Council- and ourselves- to do to make that vision happen. Topics include food, transport, energy, housing, resilience, the Airport. Includes Q & A

MCFly 017- Consultation or consolation prize?

The Call to Action was discussed at a recent Council “Oversight and Scrutiny Committee” meeting. MCFly asked the committee why the six-months public consultation promised in February 2008 had been replaced by the as yet undefined “Proud Of” campaign.

Vicky Rosin, the Assistant Chief Executive stated that: “What we decided is to bring forward a number of actions and show real leadership from the council. Consulting on the actions we intend to take forward is not something that's part of our exercise as consultation means we are prepared to change it and we intent absolutely on taking this action forward.”

Richard Cowell, the Executive member for the Environment also added that: “Yes, we've set a firm direction of where we want to go, we're not going to carry on [sic] consulting getting nowhere.”

So, now that the nine “catalytic actions” have been decided, the Council appears unwilling to take onboard any genuine public input (including on the controversial Green Airport). However, in off-the-record discussions, councillors and officers said they were keen to talk to selected green groups. Cynics may infer a 'divide and conquer' strategy at work here. Time will tell...

To quote the Call to Action (p.4)- “the Council hopes that intensive work to get action under way in Spring 2009 will help to create a buzz around the Call to Action and generate a vigorous debate on the proposals.” They just haven't said how yet.

Addendum: If you want to get involved in writing the "Call to Real Action", click here for further info.

MCFly 017- two grand a page?!

[NB We still don't know what the total cost of the report was, or which budget the money came from. We're looking into it...]

The controversy around the “Call to Action” report (see MCFly issues 15 and 16) grows and grows. Last week Manchester City Council told us that the report cost “£28,000 plus VAT plus expenses.” That worked out, (excluding expenses), at around £650 per page, as we reported here.

But the devil is in the detail. The Liberal Democrats have been told by the treasurer of Manchester City Council, Richard Paver, that the total bill, including expenses, was “between 70 and a hundred thousand pounds.” This means that the report's creators, London-based consultancy “Beyond Green” were paid an eye-watering two thousand pounds a page.

MCFly presumes this money has come out of the million pounds set aside for the Carbon Reduction Innovation and Investment Fund. While it's good that the money is finally being spent (after promises of 'imminent announcement of future-proof projects' were made in response to MCFly enquiries last August, see issue 6), not everyone is impressed.

Cllr Lev Eakins, (Lib Dem, Northenden), was dismayed that the report's costs “had risen to the absurd level of £100k, 10% of the entire climate change budget, and as yet the only part of that budget that has been spent since it was created over a year ago.”

Brian Candeland, chair of Manchester Green Party, was similarly scathing. “It's absolutely appalling. The costs of Manchester's 'Call to Action', arguably the most vacuous statement in the history of climate change campaigning, appear to be mounting .”

On Tuesday February 10, Richard Cowell, Executive Member for the Environment, will speak on the “Call to Action” at the Friends Meeting House. 6 Mount St.

The meeting will also see the launch of a “Call to Real Action” process, sponsored by Manchester Climate Fortnightly, that will publish an alternative report by April 7th.