The following pages sets out the aims of the SWCCAP, the process of its development and the scientific and policy contexts.

The South West Climate Change Action Plan (SWCCAP) was developed jointly between the main regional stakeholders including the Regional Assembly, the Environment Agency, Government Office for the South West, the South West Regional Development Agency and Natural England.  A Core Group, representing these key organisations worked together to identify resources, agree a timetable and to adopt lead areas.  The Energy Saving Trust has also joined this partnership, and the group is now overseeing delivery of the Plan.
 
A Climate Change Task Group made up of Regional Assembly members and the regional partners oversaw the production of the Plan, which was developed through an extensive stakeholder consultation and participation process. Many organisations and individuals contributed to its content. The SWCCAP was endorsed by the Regional Assembly at its AGM on 18 July 2008 and subsequently by the regional partners.

The South West launched its first Climate Change Action Plan on 3 September 2008 - to find out more click here. 

Aim of the Plan

The South West Climate Change Action Plan draws together issues from across the region to ensure that there is a shared vision on tackling climate change, access to a common evidence base and a jointly agreed set of priorities for taking the issues forward.  The Action Plan sets out a clear programme of regionally agreed priority actions to address both mitigation and adaptation activity.  The main areas of mitigation activity within the SWCCAP include tackling emissions from existing housing, business and public sector operations, transport, new build, energy generation, and land management. Adaptation activity covers: the region’s strategic response to climate change; awareness raising; land and marine management; and adapting to flood risk. 

A family of documents

The South West Climate Change Action Plan is complemented by: the Executive Summary which provides an overview of priority activity within the region; the Technical Appendix which holds the data and information sources pertinent to the choice of priorities and actions; and the associated Delivery Plans which set out how the actions will be delivered by the relevant lead organisation (to be drawn up in autumn 2008).

Delivery of the actions

The work does not stop with the publishing of the SWCCAP and its supporting documents.  The Plan’s actions are designed to be achievable within the next three years; the next step is to deliver them.  Lead agencies have begun to develop their own delivery plans setting out how they intend to achieve their share of the actions.  Representatives from the lead organisations meet regularly to discuss progress on delivering the SWCCAP.