England's Local Climate Engagement Programme

Get on board the Local Climate Engagement Programme

Local Climate Engagement (LCE) is a new programme to support local authorities in England to plan, commission and deliver high quality public engagement in their climate decision-making, in a way that benefits both them and their local population.

Why local authorities?

Local authorities in England have shown significant leadership by setting Net Zero targets that are years ahead of national legislation, with councils having a strong influence over local emissions. The LCE programme will provide local authorities with the support and impetus they need to realise the potential of widespread, high quality, inclusive local public participation in their climate decision-making. This will help to ensure that the UK can reach its climate targets, in a way that is fair and that empowers communities in that process.

What's planned?

  • The Project Group: local authorities who join the Project Group will work with us to deliver a high-quality piece of local public engagement in climate decision-making, and start to embed the approaches and skills needed for future participation work. The programme content includes training for council officers, time from one of the partner organisations to support each local authority to plan and deliver a piece of public engagement work, and peer learning sessions. 
  • The Coaching Group: local authorities who join the Coaching Group will develop their capability and confidence in planning, commissioning and overseeing public engagement in climate decision-making. The programme content includes training for council officers, draw-down mentoring time, and peer learning sessions.  

We're calling for applicants for the evaluation of the programme

Read the Terms of Reference below for more information

Who will we be working with?

We are delighted to announce the local authorities we will be working with as part of the Local Climate Engagement Programme. Local Authorities who wanted to take part were invited to complete an expression of interest form outlining their proposed project. Read our Prospectus and FAQs for more information.

We will be delivering training, in depth project support and providing peer learning sessions for the following Project Group areas:

  • Derbyshire County Council
  • Warwick District Council & Stratford District Council
  • Essex County Council 
  • Lancaster City Council 
  • Sunderland City Council 

We will be delivering training, mentoring, and providing peer learning sessions for the following Coaching Group Local Authorities:

  • Stevenage Borough Council
  • South Tyneside
  • Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
  • Rochdale Borough Council
  • Liverpool City Council
  • West Berkshire District Council
  • Brighton and Hove City Council
  • Winchester City Council
  • Reigate and Banstead Borough Council
  • West Midlands Combined Authority
  • Kensington and Chelsea
  • Hebden Royd Town Council and Todmorden Town Council
  • Kirklees Council
  • Sheffield City Council
  • East Riding of Yorkshire
  • Reading

The National Advisory Group

The Programme has a National Advisory Group that will meet 6 times between March 2022 - March 2023 to offer advice and guidance to the Programme. The National Advisory Group members include:

  • Rebecca Willis, Lancaster University - Chair of the National Advisory Group
  • Alice Owen, Place Based Climate Action Network
  • Bonny Ibhawoh, Participedia Project Direcror
  • Ewa Kmietowicz, Climate Change Committee
  • Isobel Wade, Greater Cambridge Partnership 
  • Jess Studdert, New Local
  • Judy Ling Wong, Founder of Black Environment Network
  • Louise Marix Evans, Director of Quantum Strategy & Technology
  • Martin Hunt, Forum for the Future
  • Paul Anderson, Voyage Youth
  • Tanya Pascual, Hertfordshire County Council

Get in touch

Paula Black pab10@demsoc.eu

Applications & selection process

We received 75 applications for the 21 spaces available with interest from every region in England. The 75 applications we received shows an excellent spread across regions, geographies, the political spectrum and types of local authority:

  • Political Administration: 33% Conservative led councils, 41.3% Labour led and 12% were Coalition led
  • Region: The highest number of Expressions of Interest were received from the South East & North West; then Yorkshire; South West & West Midlands and the other regions.
  • Make up of rural/urban/mixed areas: 37% Rural; 41% Urban & 22% Mixed

These applications demonstrate a strong cross-party desire for a community-backed transition and the understanding that we can’t achieve Net Zero without public involvement in climate decision-making.

More on the Local Engagement Programme (LCE)

The programme is an exciting new opportunity for local authorities to work with us and partner organisations Involve, UK100, Climate Outreach, and Shared Future. All are amongst the UK’s leading organisations in the fields of local government, public participation in climate decision-making, climate research, and climate communications and advocacy. The programme is funded by the UK branch of Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

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