Dorset Council has invited people to present their ideas on how they think the Council can help tackle climate change.
The Inquiry Day sessions will feature members of the public and representatives from various organisations who made submissions as part of the Council’s Call for Ideas. This ongoing work asks for people to provide suggestions for how Dorset Council could change its practices and use its influence to mitigate carbon emissions and promote biodiversity across its services.
These ideas will be passed to the Council’s Task and Finish groups, which are collecting information and developing proposals according to five identified themes of work – Buildings, Natural Environment, Waste and Energy, Transport and Leadership and Influence.
A selection of submissions was picked by councillors and officers from people who had indicated they were willing to present their ideas to the Executive Advisory Panel on Climate Change. These people have been invited to one of the two sessions planned, which are also open to view by the general public.
The first Inquiry Day session will take place on Friday 21 February from 10am to 3pm, with the second on Tuesday 3 March from 4pm to 9pm. Both will be held in the Committee Rooms at South Walks House in Dorchester.
People who wish to attend but haven’t been invited to present should visit www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/inquiry-day to book a place to watch the proceedings. Please note that only invitees will be able to present to the panel.
Cllr Ray Bryan, chair of the Executive Advisory Panel on Climate Change, commented:
“Both councillors and officers are excited to hear more about these great ideas. We intend for the sessions to be friendly, informal and constructive, with the opportunity for councillors to ask questions and discuss the ideas being presented.
As we continue working hard on our climate strategy and action plan, it’s vitally important we engage with the communities that we work for. We want to tap into the creativity we have around Dorset as we consider all kinds of ideas on how to tackle the climate emergency we face; from small individual gestures to radical redesigns of the way we deliver services.
I’d like to thank everyone who has submitted an idea so far and would ask that everyone who wishes to hear about some of the things we are looking into to register their interest and come along to one of the Inquiry Day sessions.”
The first draft of Dorset Council’s Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan is due to be approved and available for public consultation in the summer.
For more information, please visit Dorset Council’s Climate Emergency webpage.
