A short piece I wrote about #Cornwall Council’s #ClimateEmergencyhttps://t.co/798WevmLsB
— Alex Welsford (@al_welsford) January 29, 2019
Webcast of Climate Emergency’ debate
Amendment to Agenda No. 12.1 Urgency on Climate Change
Proposer: Councillor Kirkham
Seconder: Councillor Alvey
This Council resolves to:
- Declare a ‘climate emergency’*
- Call on Westminster to provide the powers and resources necessary to achieve the target for Cornwall to become the carbon neutral by 2030 and commit to working with other councils with similar ambitions;
- Provide adequate staff time and leadership to prepare a report within 6 months to establish how Cornwall can sufficiently reduce carbon emissions through energy efficiency, low carbon fuels and investment in renewable energy and other Council strategies, plans and contracts within the timescale which is consistent with an ambition to restrain global warming to 1.5 degrees centigrade. This will draw a scale of the actions Cornwall Council is already and will continue to take; and where possible, outline partners commitments to move towards a carbon neutral Cornwall by 2030.
*’Climate Emergency’ is an internationally recognised declaration being used by Councils and other Local Authorities, predominantly in the UK, Australia and the USA, to publicly declare concern over the IPCCs findings which recognise the adverse global impact of the changing climate.
Having invested a lot of money on an eco refurbishment of our home over eight years ago, we reduced our carbon emissions by 80% from 1996 levels. There were also some behavioural changes involved. We have proved to our satisfaction that you can have a very good lifestyle while. Still being ‘green’. However, very few people have our resources, determination or will to go down this route at present. Most of the funding will have to come from government (local and central), but there is a massive task to get people to make the change in their heads. An 80% reduction target might be achievable by 2030 given sufficient resources. Zero carbon is whole different ball game.