Background

During the initial Let’s Talk North Yorkshire activity you told us that climate change was a top five priority.

We wanted to understand your thoughts on this topic further, to feed your views and opinions into our climate change strategy. As such, Let’s Talk Climate was launched in February and ran until mid-April, as we launched the new North Yorkshire Council.

You can now download the Let’s Talk Climate report from our website.

The responses to questions and more general comments on climate change highlight that it is a key issue facing our county. Of over 1,500 responses received, 91% of responders said their awareness level is a lot or a fair amount, with three quarters of responses from people who say they worry a lot or a fair amount about the issues we face.  

A range of strong themes ran across all the feedback from barriers around public transport, the need for renewable energy generation, new developments and building standards, rooftop solar panels, more tree planting and putting the natural environment at the centre of development and restoration.

Those who took part in the survey were asked how confident they were in the approaches set out in the council’s ‘Our Climate Change Plan’ that they will help.

• Overall, half of the responses to the survey are from people who say they are very confident, confident or somewhat confident the approach will help slow down a changing climate in North Yorkshire
• Slightly more than half are from people who say they are confident, confident or somewhat confident the approach will help to prepare for a changing climate in North Yorkshire
• Some 60% of the responses are very confident, confident or somewhat confident the approach will help nature to help us in North Yorkshire

What next?

The feedback responses have been used to identify gaps in the draft version of the climate change strategy and, as we advance will support the development of the climate change action plan, allowing for area specific feedback to be incorporated.

The report and detailed analysis have been shared with the council’s 90 elected members via presentations and briefings and the information will be used for:

• The development of the finalised North Yorkshire Council Climate Change Strategy
• Identifying and developing area specific climate change projects and actions
• The development of the North Yorkshire Council Climate Change Adaption Action Plan