Councillor Scott Patient, Deputy Leader of Calderdale Council, is the new Vice Chair for West Yorkshire for the Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission. He takes over from Cllr Jack Hemingway, who is Deputy Leader of Wakefield Council.
Cllr Patient, who represents Luddendenfoot ward, is the Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Housing. He also sits on the Calderdale Flood Recovery & Resilience Programme Board, and chairs Calderdale’s Climate Action Partnership. In 2019, he was a joint proposer of Calderdale’s climate emergency declaration, and has since helped shape structures and projects at the council that helped Calderdale win the prestigious MJ Award for Climate Leadership in 2024(external link).
Cllr Patient was in the first cohort to undertake Local Government Association (LGA) climate training and in turn has delivered LGA-run climate sessions. He is a 2023 graduate of UK100’s Climate Leadership Academy(external link) and helped Tracy Brabin to develop her green manifesto prior to her election as Mayor of West Yorkshire.
Rosa Foster, Climate Commissions Director, based at the University of Leeds said:
“With his vast experience and lifelong commitment to acting on climate issues, Scott will be a real asset to the Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission. His track record on climate leadership – not just in the political realm but also on community-led initiatives – will be invaluable as our focus shifts towards supporting and enabling implementation of climate and nature action at all levels across the region.
“Each of our four vice chairs represent a different part of Yorkshire and the Humber, and I’ve no doubt that Scott will bring an informed and compassionate voice for West Yorkshire on a range of issues, as his predecessor did before him.”
In a personal capacity, Cllr Patient has been a volunteer flood warden since 2015, having experienced flooding at his own property and witnessed flooding at his children’s school and in the local community.
“I’ve got lived experience of the impact of climate inaction,” he said.
“I’m on a journey to protect my friends, family and the community in Calderdale, and the Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission is an important way for me to contribute and get involved.”
Cllr Patient is the Vice Chair of Mytholmroyd Flood Group(external link), which has been commended by the Environment Agency for good recruitment and practice. He was a volunteer with the food growing group Incredible Edible(external link) from 2011 to 2016 and has worked and volunteered with the natural flood management community group Slow the Flow(external link), which was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2021(external link).
“I’ve learned a lot from our experience of flooding, and I’m keen to share the knowledge of how Calderdale has responded to help other parts of the region,” he said.
Calderdale is using the Yorkshire & Humber Climate Action Plan(external link) produced by the Commission to inform its climate work, which is led through the local authority’s public health directorate.
Cllr Patient said:
“The climate crisis affects everything, that’s why we come at it through health. The Climate Action Plan is an excellent toolkit for working on adaptation and resilience, and we use it to speak to our communities.
“We find that the inclusion of a just transition and its emphasis on how climate action can help build a better, healthier and more equitable society is a great way to communicate with people.”