Change Strategies required to address impacts
of climate change and energy security
in local government
Bath Consultancy Group
Alexander Ballard
Date of revision:
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Significant changes in the local and global context
In recent months there have been significant changes
 Global Economic downturn
 20% world – public backing by President Obama in
USA for 80% carbon reductions
 Need to reduce travel and save energy costs
Meanwhile
 Pressure from stakeholders and partners is increasing –
carbon and energy use is in the spotlight
 Users and citizens are increasingly aware and active
 Awareness in media / public awareness is increasing
Are you?
 Getting a consistent approach across the organisation and with suppliers ?
 Able to integrate a response into mainstream service delivery strategies?
 Clear on the change strategies to address change needed ?
Date of revision:
Date of origination: Nov 08
2
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In addressing climate change and energy security
Questions that leaders in Local Government are asking:
 What’s our strategic exposure to climate change?
- Where are we now? What’s our data?
- Predictive information – what are the risks?
 What are our other public sector bodies doing?
- How can we benchmark ourselves across government?
 What is the carbon impact of our supply chains and forward plans?
- What can affect us from suppliers we may not know about?
 How will this affect our reputation?
- How can we avoid greenwash and improve our image?
 How can we mobilise concerted local action with our partners ?
- How can we best link up and support change champions and avoid burnout?
Date of revision:
Date of origination: Nov 08
3
© www.bathconsultancygroup.com
Addressing climate change involves integrating strategy,
leadership and culture through a change process
An integrated
change process
within the
organisation and
with your supply
chain
Strategy
Assessing
strategic exposure
Benchmarking
against others
Revisiting
business models
Change
Scenario planning
Supply chain
Culture
Leadership
Engagement
Breakthrough projects
From awareness to action
Cross functional change
Overcoming resistance
Discovery learning
Living the message
Date of revision:
Date of origination: Nov 08
4
© www.bathconsultancygroup.com
Challenges of integrating and sustaining change
Complex organisations will find many challenges with making
this kind of strategic change that affects their assumptions
fundamentally
 Getting real commitment across vested interests cross functionally and driving
this from the leadership team
 Avoiding greenwash and reputational risk
 Aligning interests across stakeholders within the organisation and its partners
e.g. supply chain and knowing what's happening where
 Identifying future scenarios and risks that need to
be managed
 Choosing and resourcing the right breakthrough
projects to show what can make a difference
Date of revision:
Date of origination: Nov 08
5
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Climate PACT – building your capacity for change
Using a well researched proprietary tool, Climate PACT, we can
help you build your capacity for change by:
 identifying your strategic exposure and vulnerability to climate change
 benchmarking your authority’s response level against world class
standards
 accelerating your strategic response through integrated development
 identifying possible breakthrough projects which offer win : win
outcomes and accelerated strategic learning
 building a route map towards sharp strategies for change.
Date of revision:
Date of origination: Nov 08
6
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How Climate PACT works
Work with you
to generate a
challenging
stock take
Identify levels of response
Leadership
Team
report

Through a combination of developmental workshops
and interviews with key personnel we identify the
material business issues
 Gather evidence on where you stand
 Present a short action focussed report for
discussion at Cabinet / Leadership Team level
This approach has been successfully developed with
Hampshire County Council, and piloted there and in
Kent County Council through ABL.
Date of revision:
Date of origination: Nov 08
7
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Learning pathways strategies for change
Example of a Climate PACT review: 2008
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Tremendous progress – especially on adaptation
Very close to an unusually high leadership position
Leverage areas: Learning, Working together, Agents of change
Date of revision:
Date of origination: Nov 08
Alexander Ballard Ltd,
25th Sept 2008,
8
© www.bathconsultancygroup.com
01488 686286
Feedback on Climate PACT
 “Inspirational” (Pieter Bloemen, VROM- Dutch Ministry of
Environment and Infrastructure)
 “Valuable because it gives you space to think about things
you don’t normally focus on.” (Phil Sivell, C4S at TRL)
 “This was a good chance to share understanding as a group”
(Gillian Pratt, Environment Agency)
 “One of the most valuable and helpful things was to get the
people focus on our change efforts” (Alison Cambray, Kent
County Council)
Date of revision:
Date of origination: Nov 08
Alexander Ballard Ltd,
25th Sept 2008,
9
© www.bathconsultancygroup.com
01488 686286
Opportunities from an integrated change approach
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Using the current economic crisis to achieve fundamental change
Challenging current ways of working to achieve change quickly enough
Opportunity to be seen as a leader and ensure reputation
Engaging staff, stakeholders and customers
Sustaining change rather than it fizzling out
Mobilising the integrated steps that will deliver your strategic goals
Date of revision:
Date of origination: Nov 08
10
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