Agenda item

To consider the following motion submitted by Councillor A Woodman:

a.         “That this Council notes:

i.         the UK has, at international level, signed into the Paris Accord 2015 and to the commitments agreed in 2018 at the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24) which amongst other things recognise the need to limit by 2030 temperature rises to between 1.5° C and 2° C above the internationally recognised preindustrial baseline;

ii.        the UK has at a national level, set targets into law under the Climate Change Act 2008, but despite outperforming every G7 nation by cutting emissions by more than 40 per cent since 1990, and recently breaking the record for the longest continuous period without using coal in the energy mix since the Industrial Revolution, the UK is not currently on track to meet its statutory carbon targets set in the 4th and 5th carbon budgets for the period 2023-2027 and 2028-2032 respectively;

iii.       This Council already demonstrates its public commitment to the environment through the Green Footprints agenda which includes a Free Tree scheme, efforts to increase recycling and making Council homes more efficient by installing air source heat pumps.

b.         That this Council further notes that in October 2018 the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published scientific evidence and determined that any          rise above 1.5° C would cause much more serious outcomes than Paris Accord envisaged, thereby having a more rapid adverse impact in the north and south polar regions and the Himalayan ‘third pole’ and in doing so recognises that the current efforts and targets towards reducing emissions and limiting temperature rises is clearly not enough.

c.         That this Council also notes that there are increasing calls for councils to declare a climate emergency and to commit to carbon neutrality by 2030 for their administrative areas.

d.         That this Council notes that:-

i.               it can only operate within its own scope of control and influence;

ii.        there is a need to balance the competing demands on its decreasing resources and finances;

iii.       not all the technological solutions nor the required powers and resources are currently in place.

e.         That this Council declares a climate emergency and will aim to achieve carbon neutrality from its own operations by 2030 and accordingly requests officers to develop an environment strategy necessary to achieve this aspiration together with an assessment of the cost and technology implications of so doing to enable the Cabinet and Council to take an informed decision whilst recognising that this will potentially require the reallocation of resources by the Council.

f.          That this Council commits to work with business and other public bodies across the district county and region to deliver this ambitious goal through all relevant technologies, strategies and the revision of the Local Plan where this aligns with national policy and guidance

g.         That this Council recognises that there is an increasing urgency for action to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and in doing so calls for the support of all parties to urge the Government to:-

i.         provide the powers and resources to local authorities and others to make the wider 2030 target more possible;

ii.        work with other governments (both within the UK and internationally) to determine and implement best practice methods to limit global warming to less than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”

Councillor A Woodman moved the motion as set out on the agenda and spoke to the motion.  He stated that the recognition of there being a climate emergency was not new.  He highlighted the progress made in the battle against emissions in the last 30 years, and in particular that since 1990, the UK had performed better in reducing emissions on a per person basis than any other G7 nation and would be one of the first developed countries to completely remove coal as an energy source.  He acknowledged that more needed to be done and he welcomed the Government introducing a legally binding net zero target.  He added that he wanted the Council to go further than this and he updated members on what the district council had been doing to progress the green agenda as a key leader on this issue. 

Councillor J Legrys seconded the motion and reserved his comments. 

Councillor S Sheahan felt that there may be clear solutions but a longer term view was needed.  He added that declaring a climate emergency brought the issue into focus.  He felt it was important to involve the public in discussions about the solutions.  He felt that it needed to be recognised that a tipping point had been reached.

Councillor J Clarke requested that residents be provided with information on what materials could be recycled and he asked what plans were in place to increase public awareness.

Councillor M B Wyatt stated that he fully supported the motion.  He highlighted that the biggest contributor to the carbon footprint was building and the Council had no policy to delivery carbon neutral homes.

Councillor C C Benfield welcomed the motion and commented that he believed the appetite for this change was shared by most members.  He acknowledged that the world was rapidly reaching a tipping point from which there would be no return.  He stated that the motion rightly suggested that the Council could only operate in its own scope of control or influence, however he argued that there was far more within the Council’s power and resources than was intimated by the motion.  He also argued that the actions of the Council had repercussions far wider than the motion suggested; the Council’s influence could radically reduce the carbon footprint of the entire district via planning regulations, contracts, sub-contracts and training courses.  Councillor C C Benfield asked members to consider to what immediate actions they were committing themselves in declaring a carbon emergency, and what the Council’s targets would be in planning for carbon neutrality by 2030.  He referred to the graphs circulated at the meeting showing two approaches to achieving carbon neutrality and the challenges presented by each approach.  He concluded that the Council needed to commit to a path now.

Councillor D Everitt agreed that the information to residents on recycling needed to the clarified.  He highlighted the benches in Thringstone that were made from recycled materials.

Councillor D Tebbutt welcomed the motion and was glad that the Council  had come together to put this motion forward in the best interests of the district.  He commented that climate change was an issue that affected everyone, and being the youngest member of the Council he was concerned about the future of the planet.  He highlighted a report from the Breakthrough National Centre for Climate Restoration which suggested that civilisation may be close to its end by 2050.  He stated that everyone had a responsibility to ensure the planet had a future.  He welcomed the introduction of the target of achieving carbon neutrality and the commitment to work closer with other bodies to deliver the best results.  He believed that with the correct resources, powers and guidance from central Government, more could be done to make the district as green as possible and set an example to other local authorities.  He referred to the evident increase in calls for councils to declare a climate emergency and noted that Leicestershire County Council had already done so.  He urged members to support the motion and declare a climate emergency. 

Councillor R Canny stated that this issue was a crisis of our generation and the next generation to come.  She felt that the time to act was now.  She agreed that education was the place to start and commented that each person had to be responsible for making a difference in whatever way they could. 

Councillor R Blunt stated that the green agenda was a Council priority, however more had to be done.  He highlighted the lack of a charging point at the Council for electric cars and felt this was setting a poor example.  He commented that the green agenda needed to be in the forefront of everyone’s mind. 

Councillor J Legrys commented on the need to support developers in this process and stated that he would be working on this via the review of the Local Plan.  He highlighted the high level of car ownership in the district due to the location of housing and employment.  He expressed support for the young people who were bringing these issues to the forefront. He highlighted the Council’s level of influence as a local planning authority.  He urged members to support the motion.

Councillor A Woodman exercised his right to reply and responded to the comments made by members. 

The Chairman then put the motion to the vote.  It was

RESOLVED THAT:

a.         “That this Council notes:

i.               the UK has, at international level, signed into the Paris Accord 2015 and to the commitments agreed in 2018 at the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24) which amongst other things recognise the need to limit by 2030 temperature rises to between 1.5° C and 2° C above the internationally recognised preindustrial baseline;

ii.        the UK has at a national level, set targets into law under the Climate Change Act 2008, but despite outperforming every G7 nation by cutting emissions by more than 40 per cent since 1990, and recently breaking the record for the longest continuous period without using coal in the energy mix since the Industrial Revolution, the UK is not currently on track to meet its statutory carbon targets set in the 4th and 5th carbon budgets for the period 2023-2027 and 2028-2032 respectively;

iii.       This Council already demonstrates its public commitment to the environment through the Green Footprints agenda which includes a Free Tree scheme, efforts to increase recycling and making Council homes more efficient by installing air source heat pumps.

b.         That this Council further notes that in October 2018 the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published scientific evidence and determined that any          rise above 1.5° C would cause much more serious outcomes than Paris Accord envisaged, thereby having a more rapid adverse impact in the north and south polar regions and the Himalayan ‘third pole’ and in doing so recognises that the current efforts and targets towards reducing emissions and limiting temperature rises is clearly not enough.

c.         That this Council also notes that there are increasing calls for councils to declare a climate emergency and to commit to carbon neutrality by 2030 for their administrative areas.

d.         That this Council notes that:-

i.         it can only operate within its own scope of control and influence;

ii.        there is a need to balance the competing demands on its decreasing resources and finances;

iii.       not all the technological solutions nor the required powers and resources are currently in place.

e.         That this Council declares a climate emergency and will aim to achieve carbon neutrality from its own operations by 2030 and accordingly requests officers to develop an environment strategy necessary to achieve this aspiration together with an assessment of the cost and technology implications of so doing to enable the Cabinet and Council to take an informed decision whilst recognising that this will potentially require the reallocation of resources by the Council.

f.          That this Council commits to work with business and other public bodies across the district county and region to deliver this ambitious goal through all relevant technologies, strategies and the revision of the Local Plan where this aligns with national policy and guidance

g.         That this Council recognises that there is an increasing urgency for action to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and in doing so calls for the support of all parties to urge the Government to:-

            provide the powers and resources to local authorities and others to make the        wider 2030 target more possible;work with other governments (both within the            UK and internationally) to determine and implement best practice methods to limit global warming to less than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”