Engagement and partnerships

The aspiration set out in this Strategy will only be achieved with national support and community-wide participation by residents, businesses, educational establishments, the community and voluntary sector, and other organisations. Community engagement and partnerships will provide opportunities for local residents and organisations to contribute to decision making at operational and strategic levels within local control, to drive behavioural change and take action to tackle climate change.

The Council, as a community leader, will facilitate:

Engagement

• Through community and individual action - The Council will encourage and enable individual and community action, helping address emissions and resilience measures over which the Council does not have direct control.
• Through young people - The Council recognises the long-term interest of young people so it is exploring engagement preferences to ensure that these mechanisms are appropriate and effective.
• Through business - The council will seek to empower local business to build a green economy and not only adapt but be part of the solution and seek innovation.  The Borough's Local Plan will have climate change at its centre with other strategies and policies aligning accordingly.
• Through key organisations - The Council will work with the third sector, government bodies, education establishments, utility companies, housing associations, transport operators, strategic partnerships, and other bodies that have the potential to make significant impact.

Partnership

The Council will build on existing partnerships and develop new ones where appropriate. This partnership working will enable co-ordination, best practice, optimisation of resource, improved knowledge/understanding and a shared endeavour, while increasing the number of individuals and organisations participating in this effort.

Gosport's Climate Change Partnership has been recently established to co-ordinate a collective local response to the climate change challenge and includes a wide range of stakeholders. Gosport Council is represented on this independent body by the Climate Change Board Chairperson.

The Council also recognises that external partnership with other authorises and organisations are just as vital in enabling change and producing action.

Communication

The Council, using multiple channels and tailored communications, will reach out and raise awareness to engage key and target groups on issues pertaining to climate change.

← Previous section          Next section →