Midlothian Council has declared a ‘Climate Emergency’ with the aim of making the council’s activities net-zero carbon by 2030.
At a meeting of the full Council last week it was agreed that the council should achieve 100 per cent clean energy across the full range of its functions by 2030 and ensure that all strategic decisions, budgets and approaches to planning decisions are in line with a shift to zero carbon by that date.
The council will support and work with other agencies towards making the entire area zero carbon within the same timescale and ensure that political and chief officer leadership teams embed this work in all service areas. Council Scrutiny Panels will be asked to consider the impact of climate change and the environment when reviewing policies and strategies.
Young people will also be encouraged to become actively involved in the process, ensuring that they have a voice in shaping the future.A Citizens’ Assembly will be convened to help identify how the council’s activities might be made net-zero carbon and to consider the climate change impact of each area of the council’s activities.
A new Climate Change Partnership group will be set-up, involving councillors, residents, young citizens, climate science and solutions experts, businesses, Citizens Assembly representatives and others.
The group will consider strategies and actions being developed by the council, and partner organisations and will recommend ways to maximise the local benefits of these in other sectors such as employment, health, agriculture, transport and the economy.
The council also plans to report on the level of investment in the fossil fuel industry that its pensions plan and other investments have, and review its investment strategy to give consideration to climate change impacts in the investment portfolio.
“As a council, and as individual citizens, we need to accelerate our efforts to address the impact of climate change,” said the council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Councillor Russell Imrie.
“We owe it to future generations to take this issue seriously and in doing so, we need to engage with our communities to take the actions we have outlined in the motion approved by Midlothian Council.
“We will also be calling on the UK Government to provide the powers, resources and funding support to make this possible.
“Other actions which could be implemented, include renewable energy generation and storage, providing electric vehicle infrastructure and encouraging alternatives to private car use, and increasing the efficiency of buildings – in particular to address fuel poverty. We will also look at using our local planning powers to speed up the delivery of new net zero carbon developments and communities.”
The motion:
Midlothian Council agrees 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 Scrutiny Panels 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 strategy
in line with a target of net zero emissions by 2030. It will also recommend ways to maximise
local benefits of these actions in other sectors such as employment, health, agriculture,
transport and the economy.
Report on the level of investment in the fossil fuel industry that our pensions plan and other
investments have, and review the Council’s investment strategy to give due consideration to
climate change impacts in the investment portfolio;
Ensure that all reports in preparation for the 2020/21 budget cycle and investment strategy will
take into account the actions the council will take to address this emergency;
Call on the UK Government to provide the powers, resources and help with funding to make
this possible, and ask local MPs to do likewise;
Consider other actions that could be implemented, including (but not restricted to): renewable
energy generation and storage, providing electric vehicle infrastructure and encouraging
alternatives to private car use, increasing the efficiency of buildings, in particular to address fuel
poverty; proactively using local planning powers to accelerate the delivery of net carbon new
developments and communities, coordinating a series of information and training events to
raise awareness and share good practice.
Moved: Councillor Russell Imrie
Seconded: Councillor John Hackett
