Our main highlight was being able to speak at an event hosted by the LGA Independent Group on the need for a fully-funded climate statutory duty. There were almost 100 people attending in person and online, and most importantly, from every political party. It was amazing to see so many people enthusiastic to discuss this at 8:30am on Thursday morning, and with a statement provided by Lord Krebs, we are creating real momentum in support of the Environmental Targets (Public Authorities) Bill. We would like to thank the Independent Group, particularly Cllr Wisdom da Costa and Cllr Diana Moore for helping to organise the event and everyone for attending.

Through the 3 days, we met so many councillors, council CEOs and sector professionals as well. We met with Cllr Adam Hug, chair of the Local Infrastructure and Net Zero board and leader of Westminster Council, on the importance of local climate action and a climate statutory duty. We had further confirmations from key sector organisations that the Action Scorecards are being widely used in council staff training. We also spoke with every LGA political grouping on the training we provide, such as the Local Climate Academy, as well as on the need for a climate statutory duty.

However, it wasn’t all highlights. The lack of attention to climate and nature action in the Conference’s main speeches was incredibly disappointing. In the opening speech from the chair of the LGA, Cllr Louise Gittins, there was no mention of climate and nature at all.

We expected that this speech would focus on the need for more funding for councils but to have no mention of councils meeting net zero or tackling the nature emergency, and the necessary national support, was surprising. In the following Inclusive Growth session, there was again no mention. In the closing speeches, from the LGA and from the Deputy Prime Minister, there was no mention of climate or nature. If tackling the climate and nature emergencies was a corporate priority for the LGA it would have been included in the main speeches – therefore we can only ascertain that it isn’t, yet.

The first mention we heard on climate action was from Baroness Taylor, Under Secretary of State in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on the need for new housing to help meet net zero targets.

After the session, we pushed Baroness Taylor on the need for the government to produce a stronger Future Homes Standard (FHS) for new housing. Perhaps a more impactful win was seeing senior councillors we had spoken to on this issue bringing up the importance of strengthening the FHS in sessions and in meetings with MHCLG Ministers. Every councillor seemed to understand that this was a chance for the government to “get [new housing] right, from the start”.

We felt it was important for Climate Emergency UK to be in attendance at the LGA conference. We made sure to fly the flag for action to tackle the climate emergency, create momentum around a fully funded statutory duty and continue to demonstrate how the Council Climate Action Scorecards, and the events and training we provide can support councils to take stronger climate action.