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Flintshire County Council strengthens climate governance with new delivery model aimed at net zero by 2030
Published: 20/05/2025
Flintshire County Council has today outlined a significant development in its approach to climate governance, adopting a new model designed to strengthen the delivery and oversight of its climate objectives as part of a serious and structured pathway to achieving Net Zero by 2030.
The changes, proposed by Councillor Richard Jones under Agenda Item 8 of the Full Council meeting, reflect a shift in emphasis from isolated committee scrutiny towards embedding climate responsibilities directly into each Cabinet and service portfolio. The Council’s ambition is to make climate action part of day-to-day decision-making at every level of service planning and performance monitoring.
Under this revised structure, climate change will no longer be treated as a standalone issue. Instead, it will be integrated across all relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committees (OSCs) and service areas—ensuring greater accountability, sharper focus, and clearer alignment with existing workstreams and statutory responsibilities.
To facilitate this, a new Committee Work Co-ordinating Group (CWCG) will be established. The CWCG will be responsible for the allocation and coordination of key cross-cutting themes—such as climate change, poverty, and community safety—ensuring they are given due attention within the correct scrutiny and governance channels. The group will include the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of all OSCs and the Governance & Audit Committee (GAC), and will be chaired by the GAC Chair to ensure transparency and impartial oversight.
Councillor Richard Jones commented:
“Our commitment to Net Zero by 2030 is unwavering, and this evolution in our governance model will help us deliver that goal with greater effectiveness. By embedding climate responsibility within each individual portfolio, we are mainstreaming the agenda and ensuring that climate considerations are integral to all policy, operational, and financial decisions across the Council. This model reflects the maturity of our approach and the scale of the challenge we face.”
The new group will meet quarterly, beginning in July, and will report annually to the Constitution and Democratic Services Committee on its activities and outcomes.
A review of the previous committee structure found that while progress was made, a significant portion of agenda items lacked alignment with the original Terms of Reference and Forward Work Programme. The revised model addresses this by integrating climate governance into the wider framework of service oversight, promoting more relevant, timely, and accountable scrutiny.
In addition to operational improvements, the new structure delivers a small financial saving by removing the need for additional Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs), without compromising transparency or effectiveness.
This development marks a recommitment by Flintshire County Council to lead by example in the public sector response to climate change—embedding environmental responsibility into the core of its democratic and administrative functions.