After you have signed

First, don't forget to tell us that you have signed. Next review how well your council is doing against the seven commitments in the Declaration.

Tell us that you have signed

We are regularly asked how many local authorities have signed the Declaration, so please tell us that your council has signed by emailing practicalhelp@est.org.uk or telephoning 0844 84 888 30. Once you notify us, your council will be added to the list of signatories on this website.

Review how well you are doing against the Declaration commitments

By signing the Nottingham Declaration [link to ND] your council makes several important commitments. It is quite likely that the council is already fulfilling many of these. But once you have signed, it would be useful to review how well you are doing against the seven commitments and if / what further action you need to take.

One of the most important commitments in the Declaration is:-

Within the next two years develop plans with our partners and local communities to progressively address the causes and the impacts of climate change, according to our local priorities, securing maximum benefit for our communities.

If your local authority does not already have a Climate Change Action Plan (or Strategy), then the Developing an Action Plan section of this web site suggests how to develop a climate change action plan and gives examples of what other local authorities have done.

If your local authority already has a Climate Change Action Plan or Plans, signing the Declaration is a good opportunity to:

• Review and refresh your plan.

• Check how well it is being implemented.

Questions to ask include:-

1. Does the Plan (or Plans) meet good practice, does it:-

• Address both adaptation and mitigation
• Cover the three council roles of: estate manager; service provider; and community leader?
• Include targets, responsibilities and other items recommended in our advice on drafting the action plan?

It is not essential that all of these are included within a single plan. For example, you may choose to have separate plans for adaptation and mitigation.

2. How well is the Plan (or Plans) being implemented:

• Has it been absorbed into council policies and programmes?
• Are there regular reports on progress, possibly as part of other progress monitoring?
• Is the plan being implemented?

For more advice on implementing your action plan, look at the implementation section of this website.