Scrutiny of Climate Change - public hearing

One of the region's most important economic and environmental issues is currently under the spotlight.

Whose responsibility is it to tackle Climate Change in the Yorkshire and Humber? Are we making the right interventions at a regional level and are they having an impact? What else could/should we be doing?

These are just some of the Climate Change questions being examined by the Yorkshire and Humber Assembly in its scrutiny role looking at how Yorkshire Forward is working with partners to deliver the Regional Economic Strategy.

Over the past months the Scrutiny Board have been receiving people's views:

• from a public discussion held in Goole 18 March.
• a focus group with key stakeholders
• a number of one to one interviews with key stakeholders
• written submissions from over X people

The Board are currently analysing this information and between 7-18 April will be asking for your views on their emerging findings.

Recent figures show:

• Yorkshire and Humber has the fastest growing economy in England;
• Yorkshire and Humber is the second highest producer of industrial emissions in England;
• Yorkshire and Humber produces almost 150 mega watts of power from renewable sources;
• 54% of CO2 emissions come from Housing and Transport in the region;
• Only 26.9% of homes in the region recycle.

Paul Jagger, Chair of the Assembly’s Scrutiny Board, said he was delighted with the interest already shown in the review, which has also included a live interview with Yorkshire Forward’s Head of Sustainable Development, Mike Smith, on the Assembly’s website.

“Tackling the whole range of climate change issues in relation to economic growth and other development is a massive challenge for the region and we’re hoping the review can learn some key lessons for how we can work in the future,’’ he added.

Don Stewart, Executive Director of Strategy at Yorkshire Forward said: “Yorkshire Forward has developed a strong agenda on tackling climate change since its creation in 1999, in line with the objectives of the RES. In 2003 we became the first RDA to commit to a target of greenhouse gas emissions reduction, which remains a high level target for Yorkshire Forward. We look forward to learning how our work on this agenda is seen by the region through this scrutiny review.’’

Climate Change is the latest issue to come under the spotlight of the Yorkshire and Humber Assembly’s “scrutiny” role required by Government to ensure money spent on economic development is well targeted. A formal report, with any recommendations and an action plan from Yorkshire Forward setting out how they will respond, will be produced by the Assembly in summer 2008.

* For more information on the review log on to the Assembly website www.yhassembly.gov.uk, or write or email with your views and experiences to: scrutiny@yhassembly.gov.uk