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Angela Smith, Under Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) joined IDeA and local dignitaries recently in Westminster for the launch of the Nottingham Declaration Action Pack.

Designed to offer web-based guidance and help with managing performance, the Nottingham Declaration Action Pack marks significant progress in helping local authorities develop a coherent response to the challenge of climate change.

The launch event was held on 18 July and hosted by Colin Challen MP, Chair of the All-party Parliamentary Climate Change Group. It rounds off yet another successful year for the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change which was written by Steve Waller, Principal Consultant in Sustainable Communities. In fact, since its launch in 2000, 140 local authorities have signed up to the declaration or equivalent, demonstrating the growing commitment that local authorities are making to address the issue of climate change.

Angela Smith said: "Local authorities have a hugely important role to play in tackling and adapting to climate change, not just in the way they run their own estates and services but as leaders of their communities. The new action pack addresses all three of these areas and will enable local authorities to prioritise and take action against climate change. I hope that all authorities use this Action Pack and urge those that haven’t yet done so to sign the Nottingham Declaration."

Presenting the Action Pack to the assembled dignitaries on one of the hottest days of the year, Steve Waller described the web-based resource as: "The ideal tool for councils wanting to turn their commitment to address climate change into real action. It is targeted at local authorities just starting out on the journey to engage with stakeholders in addressing climate change and those wanting to lead by example."

The pack has been created by a unique partnership of the Carbon Trust, Energy Saving Trust, the Environment Agency, IDeA, Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), Local Government Association (LGA), Nottingham City Council and the UK Climate Impacts Programme.