SECA’s initial goal was to encourage councils in the South East to declare a climate emergency.  With every council in the area having now declared a climate emergency, or passed a meaningful climate motion, the focus of our efforts is evolving.  We are concentrating in two main areas:

1. Keeping up pressure on councils for climate action: Having declared emergencies it is now crucial that councils turn their words into action. We think that SECA can help this process by keeping an overview of what’s happening in councils in the South East, and supporting ongoing lobbying of local councils by our member groups.  Ideas raised included tracking council actions, showcasing good practice and innovative ideas, creating a lobbying toolkit for SECA member groups, organising training and workshops, and coordinating media campaigns. When engaging with councils, in some cases a trusted partner or ‘critical friend’ role will be most effective;  in others, more of a watchdog role may be needed. We will play this by ear, depending on the local situation.

2. Building on the network we’ve created: The Alliance has grown from 14 members at the outset to more than 100 member groups. This strength in numbers is probably our biggest asset.  Many member groups have commented how they feel emboldened by being part of a wider network with similar aims. We will be looking for ways to help SECA members link up, share ideas, and be more effective together in catalysing climate action.