In partnership with the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) and Core Cities, the council hosted a virtual event this morning where we discussed the outcomes of COP26 and what?s needed to enable the public sector to meet net-zero.

I was pleased to speak at this event and highlight the good work being done by local areas to combat climate change and how it?s incumbent on the Government to form stronger local and national partnerships, and provide funding so local innovations can be further developed and rolled out.

Although there is frustration that world leaders at COP26 ultimately lacked the ambition to tackle climate change head on, I am optimistic that local councils have the potential to make a real difference and deliver on the ground. ?

Here in Nottingham, we are working towards our own target of carbon neutrality by 2028, aiming to be the first carbon-neutral city in the country and only the second in Europe. In Nottingham we are determined to make the transition to carbon neutrality an opportunity to reduce inequalities. We need to enable our less well-off residents to lower their carbon emissions, benefit from reduced energy consumption and bills, and the better health outcomes associated with cleaner air and greater biodiversity in the city.

We have a number of ongoing projects for the benefit of local people, including having solar panels installed on your home for free, visiting our Green Light in the City pop-up space to have conversations around the impact of the climate crisis, or winning prizes for living more sustainably with the Notts Green Rewards app.

You can keep up to date with our progress towards being carbon neutral by following the Carbon Neutral 2028 team on Facebook and Twitter, or by signing up to the monthly CN28 newsletter.

Covid-19 vaccinations are being offered again in Nottingham?s secondary schools this term. Pupils aged 12 to 15 will be able to get either a first or second dose of the vaccine. If you missed the chance for your child to get the jab last term, this is another opportunity to make sure they are protected from Covid-19.

The vaccinations are being organised by the School Aged Immunisation Service. It is important that you give consent for your child to be vaccinated against Covid-19. You can consent online in advance of the vaccination date being announced at your school ? you do not need to wait until the exact timings have been confirmed.

Consenting now means that your child can be vaccinated when the School Aged Immunisation Services visits your school.

You can find the online consent form here ? it should only take a minute to fill in: www.nottinghamshireimmunisations.co.uk/Forms/CovidDose2.

Rising cases of Covid both nationally and locally mean we might see more council staff off work due to illness or self-isolation.

The Government is asking local authorities to plan for high levels of absence due to Covid and the City Council is working hard to minimise the impact of this on our services and on our citizens. As during previous spikes in Covid rates, it may be that some services need to be reduced temporarily ? for example, we had times last year when garden waste bin collections were scaled back. We ask you to bear with us at this time and we will keep you updated as this develops