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Amended Climate emergency motion that was passed:

This council notes:
That over 41 councils have passed ‘climate emergency’ motions since the IPCC
(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report on Global Warming of 1.5°C
was published in October 2018. This report describes the major environmental
harms that a 2°C rise in world temperature is likely to cause and urges that
governments and related authorities world-wide seek to limit global temperature rises
to 1.5°C.
That there is cross party support for climate emergency motions and ambitious
carbon reduction strategies – the 41 councils that have already passed such a
motion include Labour led, Conservative led, Liberal Democrat led and NOC
authorities.
That the IPCC’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C argues that limiting
Global temperature rises to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious action from
national Governments AND local Government working in collaboration with partner
agencies, organisations, groups and local communities.
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This council further notes:
 The establishment in 2007 and facilitation by Staffordshire County Council of the
Staffordshire Climate Change Partnership and climate change adaptation group.
 That in 2008 this council was a signatory to the Nottingham Declaration, making a
public commitment to tackle climate change in concert with other councils.
 That this council subscribed in September 2013 to the ‘Climate Local’
commitment, preparing and authorising an action plan to reduce carbon emissions
and to promote action to tackle climate change with our partners and residents.
 That since 1990, the UK has cut its carbon emissions by more than any other G20
country as a proportion of its economic growth, through the ambitious measures of
the Climate Change Act 2008; is on target to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions
by 80 per cent by 2050; and will see the closure of all coal-fired power stations by
2025.
 That the councils, businesses and individuals of Newcastle-under-Lyme have
demonstrated their ongoing commitment to reducing CO2 emissions in the
Borough, which have fallen from 1024.4 kilotonnes in 2005 to 807.8 kt in 2016, the
most recent year for which data is available (source: BEIS/National Atmospheric
Emissions Inventory).
This council resolves:
To acknowledge that there is a climate emergency and that as an authority we can
play a part in trying to address it.
To aim to make Newcastle under Lyme a carbon-neutral borough by 2030.
To establish and support a climate change action group that is chaired by an
individual from outside of the borough council and is comprised of representatives of
all parties on the council, council officers, representatives of local employers, local
education establishments, partner organisations, local community groups, faith
groups, local environmental groups, trade unions and other representatives of local
civil society to encourage and coordinate the drive towards a carbon-neutral borough.
To require the cabinet and senior officers to collaborate with this action group, to
examine what more can be done by the borough council to deliver a carbon-neutral
borough, and for cabinet to work with the action group to produce and publish a plan
setting out how the council, through its policies, practices and actions will help to
deliver a carbon-neutral borough by 2030.
To require that cabinet, as part of the regular performance review process routinely
review progress against this plan and if necessary take action to expedite progress
towards the carbon-neutral goal.
For the Chief Executive to host in Newcastle a meeting of CEOs, leaders and cross
party representatives from Staffordshire County Council, Stoke City Council, District
councils across Staffordshire and our neighbouring non-Staffordshire councils to
produce a regional climate emergency strategic collaboration plan to move to a
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carbon-neutral region. Regular meetings of this group will become a part of the battle
for a carbon neutral region
To require that the chief executive and the leaders of all groups on the council jointly
write to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs declaring
a climate emergency and urging him to give local government across the region
powers and funding to take meaningful action to address this emergency.
To invite the Economy, Environment and Place Scrutiny Committee to review the
council’s record on mitigation and adaptation in respect of climate change and to
make recommendations to cabinet with regard to necessary future action.
To ask that the chief executive and the leaders of all groups on the council jointly
write to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs urging him
to give local government across the UK powers and funding to take meaningful
action to address this emergency, and to legislate for a binding UK-wide net zero
emissions target at the earliest practicable point in the future.

Proposer: Cllr Tony Kearon
Seconder: Cllr Emily Horsfall