Norfolk and Suffolk Clean Growth Taskforce

Wednesday 6th July 2022

Agenda Item 6

Collaboration and Leadership: November Events

take forward a series of events focussed on promoting sustainable best practice to

businesses to deepen knowledge and awareness.

Recommendations

The Taskforce is asked to:

 Approve the structure/framework presented

 Delegate to the sub-group to develop further and firm up the programme as

necessary

Background

As part of the UK Government’s Community Renewal Fund Road to Net Zero Business

Support Programme we have the opportunity to deliver a series of learning and awareness

 Develop innovative ideas for progression

They have also highlighted the importance of a modular programme designed to engage as

many different businesses, of all sizes, from as many different places across Norfolk and

Suffolk. That being said they also feel that one in-person event would be of benefit to really

garner the collaboration and leadership theme of the wider Taskforce.

Who is the audience?

Stakeholders will include businesses in the region including those engaged with the work of

the Chambers’, the universities’ business schools as part of the CRF programme, recipients

of CRF grant/consultancy support and Challenge Fund as case studies. We will also

Planning is currently looking at the week beginning 14 November with the in-person event

scheduled for 14,15 or 16 November at an accessible location or with the option of shuttle

bus/travel offsetting to align with the overall aims of the Programme/Taskforce’s objectives.

As part of event planning, we would explore the possibility of broadcasting to those who

could not be present in person.

Output

We are required to engage 200 unique businesses as part of the programme of events. In

addition to this the sub-group feel it is critical to deliver some tangible outcomes with respect

to next steps and offer the ability to feedback on progress at a future date. This will ensure

accountability and drive collaborative energy across the economy.

Content will build on work conducted by the UEA and University of Suffolk as part of the

research element of the Road to Net Zero Business Support Programme. It will also build on

Chamber work that has taken place in this sphere.

It could involve webinars, podcasts and video content highlighting our local ‘offer’.

It is hoped that other partners will also engage in the delivery of this Programme although

the details of this are yet to be worked up.

In-person draft programme

1. Welcome (scale of the opportunity: our USP, what the future looks like and what

should be our focus to add value/deepen impact? ‘The time to act is now’)

2. Ministerial keynote

9. The wider ‘greenification’ of our economy – labour market: skills, inward investment

10. The youth perspective

11. Closing remarks (collaboration/lateral thinking: reaching net zero as quickly as

possible – how do we get there? Next steps/ accountability/ review)

We would try and focus on the wider clean growth co-benefits as well as the key issues

facing businesses at the moment: fuel and energy costs, skills etc. to offer something

The Taskforce is asked to:

 Approve the structure/framework presented

 Delegate to the sub-group to develop further and firm up the programme as

necessary