[Cllr Mark Roberts] Now, without further ado, I'd like to introduce the Leader of the Council, Councillor Mark Hunter. Mark. [Cllr Mark Hunter] Oh, thank you, Mark and good afternoon to all of you. It's a great pleasure for me to be here as part of the Climate Action Now Summit this afternoon and I hope, by my presence as Leader of the Council, I demonstrate to you how important this issue is towards us as a local authority, just as I know it clearly is to you by your presence here today. And I thank you for coming and thank you for the time commitment to be part of it this afternoon. Mark referred a few minutes ago to the School's Climate Assembly, which was held just a couple of weeks ago. I also had the opportunity to go along for part of that. And I have to say I was extremely impressed with the level of debate, bearing in mind some of these are primary age schoolchildren, school students. And they demonstrated the value of their input at this stage, the importance of youth for future leadership on these issues. But of course, it is up to our generation now to be taking action and not simply leaving it to theirs to pick up the pieces at a later stage. We have made here in Stockport great, well we're planning to make great strides in priority areas as part of our strategy to tackle climate change and the biodiversity crisis. It is a global problem. Many people would argue the biggest problem facing society that we have at the moment, and likely to remain so. But we also know that by taking decisive action locally, we can make a difference. And that's what this Summit and a series of summits that Mark Roberts has organised are really all about what we can do locally to make a difference. And I just wanted today to give you just a few examples of the kind of things that we are doing already and will continue to do to take this agenda forward. So renewable energy interventions, for example, we're undertaking a feasibility study for a large scale shared heating network which would run in the town centre and also along the A6 corridor. On transport again, Mark mentioned that we can't do justice to every aspect of climate change today, but I do want to mention that there is unprecedented investment now happening. The new interchange in the Town Centre, and I see we've been joined by Paul Richards, Chief Executive of our Development Corporation, that's largely responsible for this. New investments in Cheadle train station, which has been announced just this week. Electric vehicle bus funding has been secured. We now have a positive commitment that all our buses in Stockport will be electric vehicles and we've got the funding behind us to ensure that that happens. We've massively increased, as I guess many of you will have noticed, the number of cycle lanes and also electric vehicle charging infrastructure. And we continue to campaign as hard as we can to get that long promised Metrolink extension to Stockport as well. On engagement and inspiration, I just will say there are some 30+ projects that are already underway and inspired by the CAN Funding, the Climate Action Now Funding, with a plan to accelerate this, plus delivering carbon literacy training for the council and out into the community as well. Just last night at our own council meeting, it was pointed out to us that the official induction for new councillors, not set by by the new administration, of course, had failed to include anything about carbon literacy training. And Councillor Roberts, as our portfolio holder, the Cabinet member responsible, was able to give a very clear undertaking: that will change. And from now on, every new Member will receive carbon literacy training as part of their basic induction. So that's going to happen. And we're also looking to extend that out into the wider community as well. On green spaces, you all be aware how important we value the green belt in this borough and what we've done over the years to protect it. But I wanted to say specifically, 7000 new trees were planted just last year, creating new woodlands as well as orchards and wildflower meadows, and we will accelerate delivery on enhancing biodiversity across the borough. We've also got to look in-house at our own operation as a council and what we can do to reduce the Council's own emissions, both by retrofitting, such as via the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme funding, which is now available, and using our civic estate to ensure how our renewable energy interventions were whenever possible. The Council, I think, has demonstrated its ambition for climate action by creating the new Cabinet post for Climate Change and Environment. I'm a great believer in the Ronseal test. It should do what it says on the tin, and that's why we re-titled the portfolio, so nobody should be in any doubt about climate change and the massive challenges it represents are front and centre of all the work we do here in Stockport. But much more, I'm here to say, much more needs to be done both in terms of mitigation and adaptation, so the council can and will act as a catalyst. But I am conscious we need to walk the walk as well as talk the talk. Engagement is crucial to influence activity that the council does not have direct control over, for example, the Climate Action Business Forum, Schools Climate Assembly and carbon literacy for businesses and council officers and politicians, third sector and education. There's so many ways in which the council can be a positive force for intervention, and when people are informed about climate change, the need for more rapid action becomes even clearer. So I think engagement is, I hope we'd all agree, absolutely crucial. We pledge to make sure that all our Cabinet members undertake carbon literacy training. That's something that I've already set in hand. But we also need to consider all the opportunities for renewable energy interventions, for support for the transition to zero carbon economy, how we build our homes for the future and how we travel through the borough. So the focus of the two sessions this afternoon on energy and food. As Mark said earlier, they are crucial aspects for us to focus on, especially more so now, more so now than ever before with the cost of living crisis and indeed the energy crisis that we all face. Thank you very much indeed for listening to me. And I hope you have a very successful conference this afternoon and at the end of the day, feel your time has been well spent being a part of it. I thank you very much indeed for your participation. Thanks.