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Motion from Councillor Holditch

“Council notes:
That the impacts of climate breakdown are already causing serious damage around the world.
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-national authorities, civil society and the private sector.
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;
That strong policies to cut emissions also have associated health, wellbeing and economic benefits;
and that, recognising this, a growing number of UK local authorities have already passed ‘Climate
Emergency’ motions.
Council therefore commits 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. Run competition in primary, secondary and other educational establishments to seek young
people’s views.
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 chaired by Cllr Cereste. When progress
has been made consult the wider public at various stages.
To give councillors and members of the public updates on progress on a regular basis
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. Seek councils support for budget
approval to assist with the co-ordination of this project
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-zero carbon new developments and communities,
increased tree planting, coordinating a series of information and training events to raise awareness and
share good practice,. look to replacing all council vehicles with electric or hybrids including the mayors
car as soon practical.”