Your Vale of White Horse Liberal Democrat councillors tabled a motion at the 13th Feb 2019 full council meeting to have Vale join other councils in declaring a climate emergency, and to work collaboratively with neighbours across the county and wider region to reduce our impact on climate change.
The Tories amended it, and made it a bit less urgent, but at least we had cross-party support to DO something. Planning policies are key to building low or zero carbon houses, and moving us all more quickly to a zero carbon world. If the Lib Dems take control after the May elections, we can do even more.
Here’s the final, approved motion (all Tories supported this except for one, who abstained):
Council notes that:
a) the recent 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report states that we have just 12 years to act on climate change if global temperature rises are to be kept within the recommended 1.5 degrees Celsius;
b) all governments (national, regional and local) have a duty to limit the negative impacts on climate breakdown, and local governments that recognise this should not wait for their national governments to change their policies. UK county, district and city councils need to commit to aggressive reduction targets and carbon neutrality as quickly as possible;
c) districts are well placed to lead the world in reducing carbon emissions, as their responsibility for planning policies opens up a range of sustainable transport, buildings and energy opportunities;
d) Council has already shown foresight when it comes to addressing the issue of Climate Change, having signed the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change in 2007. In 2008, Council agreed a Climate Change Strategy, which provided the framework for the council to set about reducing the carbon footprint of its own activities and of the local community. Between 2008 and 2013, this council collaborated with the Energy Saving Trust on the development of a strategy to reduce area-wide carbon emissions, as well as with the Carbon Trust, to produce a Carbon Management Plan which sets out how the council planned to reduce energy and fuel use in its own buildings and vehicles. All of this has led to a 30% drop in energy use in our buildings through 2018.
e) Notes that work has commenced on a review of the council’s Climate Change Strategy and Carbon Management Plan in collaboration with the Oxfordshire Energy Strategy, with the aim of bringing a report to Cabinet as soon as possible, and no later than Autumn 2019, the review to come forward to include the feasibility of adopting an early carbon neutral target for the Vale, and proposals for regular reporting to Cabinet, Scrutiny Committee and where necessary full council the progress with the strategy and plan.
In light of the above, the Council therefore agrees to:
- Join other councils in declaring a Climate Emergency;
- Ask the leader to write to the Secretary of State to seek confirmation of the Government’s intention to work with local government on climate change strategies.
- Ask that as officers, as per the council’s policies, are currently reviewing policy and strategies, that specific consideration be given to how policies, and our related decisions and actions, affect our contribution to climate change, and where necessary, update these policies to reduce our impact wherever possible. As far as
possible, the reporting templates for Council, Cabinet and committees to be amended to include an ‘Environmental Impact’ section. - Ask officers to provide the cost and availability of the most appropriate training options for members and officers about how to promote carbon neutral policies for future consideration by Cabinet;
- Request the Cabinet member for environment to bring to council a report on the activities of the Oxfordshire Environmental Partnership, of which the Vale is a member on the Vale’s environmental policies and strategies.
- Continues the positive collaborative work with partners across the district, county and wider region to deliver widespread carbon reductions.