Agenda item

Council notes that:

·       The economic system is enriching a minority while leading humanity towards climate catastrophe.

·       The Country's political system is leaving many to feel powerless and excluded from the key decisions that affect them.

·       In 2018, the world’s leading climate scientists—the IPCC—warned that humanity has only 12 years left in which to cap temperature rises at 1.5C or face a sharply higher risk of drought, floods and heatwaves.

·       The UK Parliament has approved a motion to declare an environment and climate emergency, and all governments (national, regional and local) have a duty to limit the negative impacts of climate breakdown.

·       Local government organisations should recognise that they cannot wait for national government to provide more money and support to reduce emissions, and that they should commit to the ambition of carbon neutrality by 2030 at the latest.

·       Our emissions as an organisation are a small proportion of our area’s CO2 emissions and that we can achieve more for our environment by working co-operatively than we do alone.

·       Every year, our area spends significant amounts on energy, which goes out of the local economy to the big energy companies, when we believe that it could be retained through community energy, a fundamentally important part of the national energy transition we are undergoing right now.

In light of the above, Council therefore resolves:

That this Council will:

1.    Join with other Councils in declaring a Climate Emergency, and have a vision of, and aspire to carbon neutrality by 2030 at the latest.

2.    Continue to call on Westminster to provide the necessary powers and resources to make local action on climate change easier.

3.    Work to explore the expansion of community energy to keep the benefits of our local energy generation in our local economy.

4.    Continue to work with partners anchored in West Lancashire to deliver carbon reductions and grow the local economy.

5.    Encourage local councillors to take action in their communities, with a view to establishing a Citizens Assembly made up of a range of representatives from our local citizens to establish the facts and make recommendations for our council.

The following Motion was moved and seconded:

"Council notes that:

·       The economic system is enriching a minority while leading humanity towards climate catastrophe.

·       The Country's political system is leaving many to feel powerless and excluded from the key decisions that affect them.

·       In 2018, the world’s leading climate scientists—the IPCC—warned that humanity has only 12 years left in which to cap temperature rises at 1.5C or face a sharply higher risk of drought, floods and heatwaves.

·       The UK Parliament has approved a motion to declare an environment and climate emergency, and all governments (national, regional and local) have a duty to limit the negative impacts of climate breakdown.

·       Local government organisations should recognise that they cannot wait for national government to provide more money and support to reduce emissions, and that they should commit to the ambition of carbon neutrality by 2030 at the latest.

·       Our emissions as an organisation are a small proportion of our area’s CO2 emissions and that we can achieve more for our environment by working co-operatively than we do alone.

·       Every year, our area spends significant amounts on energy, which goes out of the local economy to the big energy companies, when we believe that it could be retained through community energy, a fundamentally important part of the national energy transition we are undergoing right now.

In light of the above, Council therefore resolves:

That this Council will:

1.    Join with other Councils in declaring a Climate Emergency, and have a vision of, and aspire to carbon neutrality by 2030 at the latest.

2.    Continue to call on Westminster to provide the necessary powers and resources to make local action on climate change easier.

3.    Work to explore the expansion of community energy to keep the benefits of our local energy generation in our local economy.

4.    Continue to work with partners anchored in West Lancashire to deliver carbon reductions and grow the local economy.

5.    Encourage local councillors to take action in their communities, with a view to establishing a Citizens Assembly made up of a range of representatives from our local citizens to establish the facts and make recommendations for our council."

An Amendment to the Motion, as circulated prior to the meeting, was moved and seconded.

The Amendment was altered with the agreement of the mover and seconder and with the consent of the meeting.

A vote was taken on the Altered Amendment, which was CARRIED.

A vote was taken on the Substantive Motion, which was CARRIED.

RESOLVED:   A.     That this Council notes:

·     The economic system is enriching a minority while leading humanity towards climate catastrophe.

·     The Country's political system is leaving many to feel powerless and excluded from the key decisions that affect them.

·     In 2018, the world’s leading climate scientists—the IPCC— warned that humanity has only 12 years left in which to cap temperature rises at 1.5C or face a sharply higher risk of drought, floods and heatwaves.

·     The UK Parliament has approved a motion to declare an environment and climate emergency, and all governments (national, regional and local) have a duty to limit the negative impacts of climate breakdown.

·     Local government organisations should recognise that they cannot wait for national government to provide more money and support to reduce emissions, and that they should commit to the ambition of carbon neutrality by 2030 at the latest.

·     Our emissions as an organisation are a small proportion of our area’s CO2  emissions and that we can achieve more for our environment by working co-operatively than we do alone.

·     The UK’s Independent Committee for Climate Change states that 18% of UK carbon emissions come from buildings – most of them homes – with a further 15% of emissions coming from electricity consumed in buildings and that therefore the council’s role as a housing and planning authority will be key in this co-operative effort.

·     That large warehouses used by the likes of Amazon and other internet retailers typically have high energy demands requiring additional electrical sub-stations and other infrastructure

·     The UK’s independent Committee of Climate Change estimates that 1.5bn new trees will be required for the next 30 years to increase woodland cover from 13 to 17 per cent in this country.

·     Every year, our area spends significant amounts on energy, which goes out of the local economy to the big energy companies, when we believe that it could be retained through community energy, a fundamentally important part of the national energy transition we are undergoing right now.

B.     That in light of the above, this Council will:

1.          Join with other Councils in declaring a Climate Emergency, and have a vision of, and aspire to carbon neutrality by 2030 at the latest.

2.          Continue to call on Westminster to provide the necessary powers and resources to make local action on climate change easier.

3.          Work to explore the expansion of community energy to keep the benefits of our local energy generation in our local economy.

4.     Continue to work with partners anchored in West Lancashire to deliver carbon reductions and grow the local economy.

5.     Encourage local councillors to take action in their communities, with a view to establishing a Citizens Assembly made up of a range of representatives from our local citizens to establish the facts and make recommendations for our council.

6.     That the following comments be forwarded to the Local Plan Cabinet Working Group for consideration:

(i)   As part of the current local plan review, consider the new housing numbers planned to reflect only the numbers required each year for local need.

(ii)  Consider, through the new local plan, all new homes built to be built to zero carbon home design codes.

(iii)  Consider, through the new local plan, all new commercial properties including warehouses to be built to the highest carbon reduction design codes and to offset through, e.g. tree planting, any remaining carbon emissions

(iv)  Encourage through policies in the new local plan, additional planting of woodland in West Lancashire   

7.     That the Housing Portfolio Holder be asked to consider initiating through the council’s housing capital account, a multi-year programme of insulation and other energy efficiency measures to the Borough’s council housing stock.