Richard Leese, the leader of Manchester City Council, has a blog. The latest post on it makes mention of adaptation to climate change. We’ve posted the following question. Let’s see what happens…

Welcome back,

at the end of the blog post you write

“The update has considerably more on adaptation than the original but continues to challenge us all to address one of the most fundamental issues facing the world today.”

Well, I’d like to refer you to the papers for the first meeting Low Carbon Hub meeting (6th December 2012), which I believe that you chaired.
In the main paper for that meeting “FUTURE WAYS OF WORKING AND BUSINESS PLAN REVIEW” there is a pretty blunt assessment by the officers of the Greater Manchester Environment Team (paragraph 4.2, on page 5)

“It should also be noted that a significant proportion of deliverables for which no resources were identified at the beginning of the year, have also been progressed. The key exceptions are that we have not progressed the roll out of the MCC carbon literacy project across GM, we have not substantially followed up the actions from the Ecocities launch….” (emphasis added)

Soooo, big shiny launch of the Ecocities project last May (a conference that was, it should be noted, supposed to be held in six months earlier). A few people get to give speeches and deliver powerpoints, followed by some light networking. But then … “we have not substantially followed up the actions…”

Could you please tell us what your response to this report was on the 6th December when it was tabled, and also what precisely will be different “going forward” (as they so frequently say in the adminosphere.) A cynic might be forgiven, you see, for thinking that the main function of the climateriat in Manchester is not actions, but rather the writing of reports that can then be “refreshed” a couple of years down the line.

Many thanks in advance.

Marc Hudson
mcmonthly@gmail.com

P.S. And yes, I am aware that MACF is a Manchester thing and Ecocities is ostensibly a Greater Manchester thing.