North Yorkshire Council
Corporate Director - Environment
27 May 2026
Pathways 2 Resilience: Memorandum of Understanding Approval
Report of the Assistant Director - Transport and Environment
1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT
1.1 To seek approval from the Corporate Director – Environment for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Pathways to Resilience programme (P2R) be approved.
2.0 BACKGROUND
2.1 The North Yorkshire Council Climate Change Strategy indicates that we will create, by March 2025, a NYC Climate Adaptation Plan to support services and residents, communities and businesses to prepare for our climate to change. This will assess our risks and identify options for adaptation. Since the Strategy was adopted, we have been able to collaborate with Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission and the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA) and the plan creation has therefore been delayed.
2.2 YNYCA, City of York (CoY) and North Yorkshire Council (NYC) have worked collaboratively on climate change adaptation and resilience over the past year. A study into the key risks and vulnerabilities and pathway analysis is now nearing completion. The next stage is to move into developing the action plan. This will be for Y&NY as a whole but will support identification of actions for NYC.
2.3 In order to continue with external support, the partners have been invited to join the Pathways2Resilience programme.
3.0 PATHWAYS2RESLIENCE
3.1 Pathways2Resilience (P2R) has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. It is managed by a consortium led by Climate KIC and follows the ‘Regional Resilience Journey Framework.’ Pathways2Resilience is an 18-month structured programme supporting regions in developing the following deliverables:
· A Baseline Assessment
· A Climate Resilience Pathway
· A Climate Resilience Action Plan
· A Climate Resilience Investment Plan
3.2 YNYCA have led a collaborative approach to develop a climate risk and vulnerability assessment over the last 12 months. YNYCA, City of York, NYC and protected landscapes form the partnership with all partners contributing financially. The report, produced by consultants, is nearing completion.
3.3 In order to continue to develop the climate adaptation collaborative approach, partners have been invited to participate in the P2R programme as an unfunded partner, and to do this, NYC is required to sign a MOU. This is in Appendix A. The programmewill enable NYC to benefit from the collective expertise of the Pathways2Resilience consortium, engage with a strong community of European regions, and continue advancing NYC’s climate resilience ambitions within a recognised European framework. The programme will support NYC to develop the ‘deliverables’ (3.1) and then will review them against the framework, providing comments to support drafting.
3.4 The MOU outlines the ‘offer’ and ‘ask’ of participants. The expectation is simply that NYC officers engage in the online training programme and share information and data where appropriate. There is no financial cost to joining the programme.
3.5 The learning will also be shared with the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission Adaptation working groups.
4.0 CONSULTATION UNDERTAKEN AND RESPONSES
4.1 Consultation with CoY and YNYCA has taken place. Partners are planning to join the programme.
5.0 CONTRIBUTION TO COUNCIL PRIORITIES
5.1 The Council has declared a Climate Emergency and pledged to play its part in tackling the causes and impacts of climate change. Climate change features on the Corporate Risk Register.
5.2 The Strategy delivers and contributes to all Council Plan ambitions:
· Support thriving places and empowered communities.
· Develop more sustainable and connected places across North Yorkshire
· Ensure people of North Yorkshire and safe, health and living well
· Maximise the potential of North Yorkshire’s people and communities.
6.0 ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED
6.1 There is an option not to join the programme. This was rejected as it provides an opportunity to gain skills and information in a relatively new area of work.
7.0 IMPACT ON OTHER SERVICES/ORGANISATIONS
7.1 The climate adaptation activity will influence many Council services and external partners as society faces the impacts of global warming and the changing climate.
8.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
8.1 There are no financial implications arising from approving the Memorandum of Understanding – Pathways 2 Resilience Programme. The MOU requires officers to participate in the on line training programme and sharing of information.
9.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
9.1 There are now several Acts which seek to deal with the implications of Climate Change. These include the Climate Change Act 2008 sets out a range of measures to deal with climate change including emission reduction targets which the UK must comply with and carbon budgeting and the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 Section 19 (1A) which requires local planning authorities to have policies in their Local Plans securing that development and land use contribute to the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. The Environment Act 2021 also contains further targets to protect the environment and to tackle the impacts of climate change.
9.2 Legal services have reviewed and approved the MOU.
10.0 EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS
10.1 The Regional Resilience Journey is designed to support regions in transitioning to climate resilience in a just and equitable manner. This is in line with NYC Climate Change ‘‘principle’ (a) i ‘equality of opportunity.’ The EIA is in Appendix B.
11.0 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS
11.1 The programme will support the NYC approach to climate adaptation as outlined in the Climate Change Strategy (Section 8). The CCIA screening indicates that a full CCIA is not required.
12.0 REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION
12.1 NYC will benefit from shared learning approach to developing its response to climate adaptation.
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13.0 |
RECOMMENDATION
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13.1 |
It is recommended that the Corporate Director – Environment approve the request for Memorandum of Understanding – Pathways 2 Resilience Programme.
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APPENDICES:
Appendix A – Pathways 2 Resilience Memorandum of Understanding
Appendix B – EIA Screening Form
Michael Leah
Assistant Director – Environment and Transport
County Hall
Northallerton
12 May 2026
Report Author and presenter – Jos Holmes, Climate Change Strategy Manager