Issue - meetings

1.     PROPOSED BY COUNCILLOR STEPHENS

“Council notes:

That the impacts of climate breakdown are already causing serious damage around the world. 

That the ‘Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C’, published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in October 2018, (a) describes the enormous harm that a 2°C average rise in global temperatures is likely to cause compared with a 1.5°C rise, and (b) confirms that limiting Global Warming to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society and the private sector.

That all governments (national, regional and local) have a duty to act, and local governments that recognise this should not wait for their national governments to change their policies; 

That strong policies to cut emissions also have associated health, wellbeing and economic benefits;

and that, recognising this, a growing number of UK local authorities have already passed 'Climate Emergency' motions.

Council therefore commits to:

Declare a ‘Climate Emergency’ that requires urgent action.

Make the Council’s activities net-zero carbon by 2030

Achieve 100% clean energy across the Council’s full range of functions by 2030

Ensure that all strategic decisions, budgets and approaches to planning decisions are in line with a shift to zero carbon by 2030.

Support and work with all other relevant agencies towards making the entire area zero carbon within the same timescale;

Ensure that political and chief officer leadership teams embed this work in all areas and take responsibility for reducing, as rapidly as possible, the carbon emissions resulting from the Council’s activities, ensuring that any recommendations are fully costed and that the Executive and Scrutiny functions review council activities taking account of production and consumption emissions and produce an action plan within 12 months, together with budget actions and a measured baseline;

Request that Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee consider the impact of climate change and the environment when reviewing Council policies and strategies;

Work with, influence and inspire partners across the district, county and region to help deliver this goal through all relevant strategies, plans and shared resources by developing a series of meetings, events and partner workshops;

Request that the Council and partners take steps to proactively include young people in the process, ensuring that they have a voice in shaping the future;

Request that the Executive Portfolio holder with responsibility for Climate Change convenes a Citizens’ Assembly in 2019 in order to involve the wider population in this process. This group would help develop their own role, identify how the Council’s activities might be made net-zero carbon by 2030, consider the latest climate science and expert advice on solutions and to consider systematically the climate change impact of each area of the Council’s activities;

Set up a Climate Change Partnership group, involving Councillors, residents, young citizens, climate science and solutions experts, businesses, Citizens Assembly representatives and other relevant parties. Over the following 12 months, the Group will consider strategies and actions being developed by the Council and other partner organisations and develop a  ...  view the full agenda text for item 21