The Audit and Risk Management Panel of Greenwich Council is scheduled to convene on Tuesday 3 November 2026. The meeting's agenda includes a review of the Council's Strategic Risk Register and a deep dive into the risk associated with responding to a changing climate.

Council Strategic Risk Register

The Panel is scheduled to review the Council's updated Strategic Risk Register. This register outlines the key risks that could impact the Council's plans and strategies, along with the controls and mitigating actions in place. The Greenwich Management Team (GMT) is responsible for overseeing this register, with individual directors assigned ownership of specific risks. The report notes that the register was last presented to the Panel on 21 July 2026 and that the Greenwich Management Team scrutinises it to ensure it accurately reflects current strategic risks, the reasonableness of risk evaluations, and the effectiveness of controls. Notable changes since the last report include a re-assessment of the Medium Term Financial Strategy – Finance and Resources risk, a revision of the title and description for Responding to a Changing Climate, and the de-escalation of the Compliance with New Procurement Legislation risk to departmental level. A new risk, Financial Systems Project, has also been added. The Panel is asked to note and comment on the updated register, which will subsequently be presented to Cabinet and Full Council.

Deep Dive Review: Responding to a Changing Climate

A significant item on the agenda is a deep dive review into the Council's strategic risk CORPGMT 13, titled Responding to a Changing Climate. This risk was previously known as Achieving Carbon Neutral by 2030. Senior managers from the Communities, Environment and Central Department are expected to provide an update on this strategic risk. The report highlights that the Council's Carbon Neutral Plan 2021-2030 and the second Climate Action Plan, approved in February 2024, are key policies in place. The risk arises from potential failures in adapting to climate change impacts, embedding the Carbon Neutral Plan across services, partner actions, securing sufficient funding, and readiness for severe weather events. The potential effects include disrupted service provision, impacts on residents' quality of life, an increase in preventable deaths, reputational damage, and failure to meet carbon targets and co-benefits. The Council monitors and reports on the actions within its Action Plan annually, with a full strategic review of the Carbon Neutral Plan scheduled post-2025.

Action Log

The Panel is also scheduled to receive the current Action Log. This log details the progress against actions agreed at previous meetings. The report indicates that several actions have been completed, including providing the Interest Coverage Ratio in future reports (though it was noted this metric is less relevant for local authorities than the ratio of financing costs to net revenue stream), circulating training materials, revising the presentation of the Balance Sheet diagram, moving the Self-Assessment and Evaluation item to a later meeting, and providing details about National Anti-Fraud Week.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The Panel will be asked to confirm the accuracy of the Minutes from the previous meeting held on 22 September 2026.

Filming and Recording of Meetings

It is noted that the meeting will be recorded and broadcast on the internet, in line with the Council's support for democratic engagement. Attendees are informed that their presence will be recorded, and the recording will be uploaded to the Council's YouTube Channel.