The following motion was passed:

The Council notes:
1. That the impacts of climate change are already causing serious damage around the
world.
2. 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-regional authorities, civil society and
the private sector.
3. 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;
4. That strong policy to cut emissions also has associated health, wellbeing and
economic benefits for residents and business of the Borough.
Council therefore commits to:
1. Declare a ‘Climate Emergency’ that will require the Council to:
a. Ensure that all strategic decisions, budgets and approaches to the delivery of
its services and place making are in line with a shift for the Council to be zero
carbon in its operations by 2040.
b. Exercise its role of community leadership by supporting and working with all
other relevant agencies and bodies towards making the Borough zero carbon
through all relevant strategies, plans and shared resources by 2045.

[pdf-embedder url=”https://climateemergency.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Barnsley.pdf”]