Covering the entire geographic area of Kirklees, the Kirklees Climate Commission is bringing together key communities, organisations and groups from across Kirklees to support, guide and track climate action within the area. The Commission strives to promote inclusion and diversity and to include balanced representation from across the different communities and sectors in the area.

Kirklees Climate Commission (KCC) will focus primarily on the transition to net-zero carbon emissions, with a particular focus on energy, houses, commercial buildings, transport, energy, land use (including agriculture) and nature. It will also consider climate risks from within and beyond Kirklees, such as those related to flooding.

The Commission will promote fairness, inclusion and a just transition (including for communities and sectors that face challenges in the transition towards net-zero and climate resilience), and actions that are more broadly sustainable, particularly as they relate to nature and biodiversity.

KCC will therefore:

• Promote leadership in the district on climate change, encouraging stakeholders to take effective action now, while maintaining a long-term perspective;
• Provide authoritative independent advice on the most effective ways of reducing carbon emissions and meeting the district’s emissions reduction targets;
• Promote best practice in public engagement on climate change and its impacts in order to support robust decision-making;
• Review collective area-wide progress towards meeting the district’s emissions targets, celebrating good practice and recommending actions to keep the district on track;
• Advise on the assessment of climate-related risks and adaptation opportunities in the district and on progress towards climate resilience;
• Bring together major organisations and key groups in Kirklees to collaborate on projects and promote innovations that result in measurable contributions towards meeting the district’s climate reduction target;
• Make the economic case for new initiatives and investment in low emissions and climate resilient projects in the district;
• Act as a forum where organisations can exchange ideas, research findings, information and best practice on emissions reduction and climate resilience.
• Support and develop appropriate activity-based funding bids

Although KCC will advocate climate action, it is not intended to be a platform for lobbying, campaigning, marketing or PR. It will work through constructive, collaborative engagement and debate and wherever possible through consensus based decision making. 

The main Commission meets quarterly, whilst a number of panels and working groups are being established to support its activities and promote engagement across the area.

The Terms of Reference were formally agreed at the first Commission meeting on 20/07/21 and can be downloaded below.