Motion proposed by Councillor I Sadler
Council notes that:
Our economic system is enriching a minority while leading humanity towards climate catastrophe. Our political system is leaving many to feel powerless and excluded from the key decisions that affect them. In 2018, the world’s leading climate scientists – the IPCC – warned that humanity has only 12 years left in which to cap temperature rises at 1.5C or face a sharply higher risk of drought, floods and heatwaves. The UK Parliament has approved a motion to declare an environment and climate emergency, and all governments (national, regional and local) have a duty to limit the negative impacts of climate breakdown. Local governments should recognise that they cannot wait for national government to provide more money and support to reduce emissions, and commit to the ambition of carbon neutrality by 2030 at the latest. Our emissions are a small proportion of our area’s CO2 emissions and that we achieve more for our environment working co-operatively than we do alone. Every year, our area spends significant amounts on energy. This money goes out of the local economy to the big energy companies when we believe that it could be retained through community energy – and that community energy is a fundamentally important part of the national energy transition we are undergoing right now. In light of the above, Council therefore agrees to:
1. Join other Councils in declaring a Climate Emergency, and commit to the vision of carbon neutrality by 2030 at the latest.
2. Continue to call on Westminster to provide the necessary powers and resources to make local action on climate change easier.
3. Encourage this Council to explore the expansion of community energy to keep the benefits of our local energy generation in our local economy.
4. Continue to work with partners anchored in the area to deliver carbon reductions and grow the local economy.
5. Establish a Citizens Assembly made up of a representative range of our citizens to establish the facts and make recommendations for our council
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The motion was proposed by Councillor I Sadler and seconded by Councillor P Allen.
Councillor B Edwards proposed an amendment to the motion and this was seconded by Councillor L Bates. The amendment to the motion was carried.
Councillor P Allen voted against the amendment.
RESOLVED: that the Council supports the L.G.A. motion on Climate Change and that the Council declares a climate emergency and that
1. the Council seeks to explore how it can secure net zero carbon from its activities
2. the Council seeks to explore how it can use 100% clean energy across the Council's functions
3. the Council calls on Government to provide the necessary powers and resources to support implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals
4. the Council continues to consider the effects on climate change of decisions to be made by the Council
5. the Council continues to work with other partners to achieve these goals
6. the Council tasks the Overview and Scrutiny Committee through a Challenge Panel to further look into how the above aspects and anything else this Council can do to reduce the effects of Climate Change and to advise on the costs of doing so.