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Agenda item

Notice of Motion: To widen the scope for our Climate Emergency to include the whole Borough, to declare a Nature (Ecological) Emergency and Support the Climate and Ecology Bill

Councillor Cody will propose and Councillor Dimond-Brown will second:

 

This motion contains two intrinsically linked urgent necessities.

 

In July 2019, I brought a motion to Tewkesbury Borough Council to declare a climate emergency and do all in its powers to make the Borough carbon neutral by 2030.

 

Tewkesbury Borough Council was the last district in Gloucestershire to declare a Climate Emergency and this finally passed on 1st October 2019, but was at the time reduced to only include tackling emissions created by the Council itself and a few other public service properties it owns within the Borough:

 

“The Council has committed to become carbon neutral by 2030 by addressing greenhouse gas emissions from our operations, including:

·         Electricity, gas and water use in our buildings that are used to provide a publicservice

·         The Council’s vehiclefleet

·         Travel by employees and Councillors in vehicles or by public transport for Councilpurposes

·         Officewaste”

 

An excellent start has been made and I would like to give credit to officers who have worked incredibly hard gathering data, applying for funding and creating a carbon reduction programme. We now have the impressive solar canopy and several other initiatives, however, it is time to widen our reach to include the whole borough, we even say so on our website:

 

“Having looked at the Council’s own Carbon footprint the next steps will then be to support residents, businesses, community groups and other organisations to tackle greenhouse gas emissions across the Borough.”

 

I believe that we can do both at the same time, in fact it will be beneficial; that residents, businesses, community groups and other organisations increasingly want to be involved and will in turn support the whole borough on our collective journey to carbon neutrality.

Climate Emergency UK has been working on Council Climate Plan Scorecards. The average Council is scoring 43% but, Tewkesbury is currently on just 10%. Climate Emergency UK say;

 

“Engagement and support from residents is essential in carrying out your Climate Action Plan. Involving a diverse range of residents from all sectors of your community from the beginning will help ensure that a wider variety of ideas are heard and that solutions to problems can be found collectively.”

 

Businesses also want to get involved by sharing their ideas and examples of best practice, we don’t need to be doing this alone. Widening our scope could encourage private investment and unite our Borough in achieving carbon neutrality.

 

Here’s another quote from TBC’s website:

 

“Without increased and urgent mitigation ambition in the coming years, leading to a sharp decline in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, global warming will surpass 1.5°C in the following decades, leading to irreversible loss of the most fragile ecosystems, and crisis after crisis for the most vulnerable people and societies.” (Source: IPCC, 2018: Global Warming of 1.5°C.)”

In order to reduce the chance of runaway Global Warming and limit the effects of Climate Breakdown, it is imperative that we as species reduce our C02eq (carbon equivalent) emissions from their current 6.5 tonnes per year to less than 2 tonnes as soon as possible;

 

Carbon emissions result from both production and consumption. In Gloucestershire the consequences of no action include:

 

·         Increasedrisk offlash floodingand theresulting damage tobuildings, crops, farmlandand infrastructureas aresult ofmore extremerainfall events.

 

·         Health problems due to increased heat stress particularly for vulnerable adults and children.

 

·         Increased costs associated with changes to crops andbiodiversity.

 

·         Higher energycosts.

 

·         Crop failures associated with extreme heat, such as was experienced in 2018 and2022.

 

The government believes that a shift to a very low carbon energy future represents the best course for the country’s economic development while lowering the risk of fuel poverty and reducing air pollution.

 

The second element of this motion is intrinsically linked and recognises the need for a declaration of a nature, (ecological) emergency. This can be found on Tewkesbury Borough Council’s website:

 

Biodiversity

 

“Tree planting activity has been undertaken on the Council’s land and we are working with Gloucestershire County Council to identify further opportunities to support carbon capture through nature.”

 

But that’s the only mention of nature recovery, ecology or biodiversity.

 

Humans have already caused irreversible climate change, the impacts of which are being felt in the UK and around the world. Global temperatures have increased by 1.2°C from pre-industrial levels and the natural world has reached crisis point, with 28% of plants and animals currently threatened with extinction.

 

Unless we drastically change course, the world is set to exceed the Paris Agreement’s safe 1.5°C limit. Pledges like the Paris Agreement and updated emissions targets are not legally binding. The gap between pledges and policies leaves the world on course for catastrophic warming of near 3%. As the 2018 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) made clear, every half a degree makes a world of difference: severe climate impacts with 1.5°C of warming, such as extreme weather patterns causing flooding and heat waves, get significantly worse with 2°C. According to the IPCC, limiting heating to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society, the private sector and local communities.

 

The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world and more than one in seven of our plants and animals face extinction and more than 40% are in decline. We have lost 95% of our hedgehogs. The UK needs a legally-enforceable nature target so that by 2030 nature is visibly and measurably on the path of recovery, in line with the Global Goal for Nature and the Leaders' Pledge for Nature.

 

Investing in wildlife gives at least a three-fold economic return. Protecting biodiversity and nature pays.

 

Council notes that:

 

Many local authorities are playing an important role in the UK taking action to achieve net zero carbon emissions, and to protect and revitalise local wildlife and natural habitats. Parliament in May 2019 declared an Environment and Climate Emergency and this Council has declared a Climate Emergency.

 

We further note that:

 

There is a Bill before Parliament - the Climate and Ecology Bill - which, if it becomes law, would require the UK Government to develop a strategy to address the climate-nature crisis that would ensure:

 

A.    that the ecological crisis is tackled shoulder to shoulder with the climate crisis, in a joined-upapproach;

 

B.    that the Paris Agreement is enshrined into law to ensure that the UK does its fair share of the global carbon budget to limit planetary temperature rise to the safest end of the Paris Agreement(1.5°C);

 

C.   the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature, echoed in the Montreal Agreement reached at the UN Biodiversity summit, COP15, is enshrined into law to ensure that nature loss and degradation is in reverse by2030;

 

D.   that the UK takes responsibility for our entire greenhouse gas footprint (i.e. consumption emissions, plus shipping, flights and land-based transport) by accounting for all of the emissions that take place overseas to manufacture, transport, and dispose of the goods and services we import andconsume;

 

E.    that the UK takes responsibility for our ecological footprint, so that we protect health and resilience of ecosystems along both domestic and our global supplychains;

 

F.    an independent, temporary ‘Climate and Nature Assembly’ is set-up, representative of the UK’s population, to engage with the UK Parliament and UK Government to help develop thestrategy.

 

Council therefore resolves to:

 

I.      Extend our current scope and declare a Borough wide “Climate and EcologicalEmergency”;

 

II.    Commit to doing all in its power to make Tewkesbury Borough carbon neutral by 2030, taking into account both production and consumption emissions;

 

III.   Committo doingall inpower eliminatethe council’sscope 3emissions throughthe developmentof acarbon neutralprocurement strategy.

 

IV.   Continue its Climate Action and Flood Risk Working Group;

 

V.    Callagain uponthe UKGovernment to provideadditional powersand resourcesto supportlocal and nationalaction towardsthe 2030target;

 

VI.   Commit again to working with partners in Gloucestershire to achieve county-wide carbon neutrality aims;

 

The Council further resolvesto:

 

VII. Declare a nature (ecological) emergency; recognising that the threat to continued human wellbeing from the loss of biodiversity and healthy habitats, whilst linked to the climate emergency, requires specific emergency measures for naturerecovery.

 

VIII. Declareour supportfor theClimate and EcologyBill; informthe localmedia ofthis decision.

 

IX.   Write an open letter to Laurence Robertson MP, shared with our residents through local and social media, urging him to sign up to support the CE Bill;and

 

X.    Write to the Zero Hour, the organisers of the campaign for the CE Bill, expressing its support(councils@zerohour.uk). 

Minutes:

16.1           The Worshipful the Mayor referred to the Notice of Motion set out on the Agenda and indicated that, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure, it was necessary for the Council firstly to decide whether it wished to debate and determine the Motion at this evening’s meeting, or whether it wished to refer the Motion, without debate, to a Committee for consideration with authority either to make a decision on the matter or to bring a recommendation back to Council.

16.2           Upon being proposed and seconded, it was

                  RESOLVED          That the Motion would be discussed at this evening’s Council                            Meeting.         

16.3           The Motion, as set out on the Agenda, was proposed and seconded. The proposer of the Motion advised that the Motion was a follow-up to the one she had submitted four years ago and sought to widen the scope of the Council’s declared climate emergency to cover the whole Borough; to incorporate nature recovery and to support the Climate and Ecology Bill. That Bill was a plan for a new UK law which would address the full extent of the climate and nature crisis in line with the most up to date science and ensure a comprehensive and joined-up approach to the emergency. The proposer of the Motion indicated that she had Officer support for both elements of the Motion to build on what had already been happening in terms of carbon reduction. She was of the view that, although it may not appear easy financially, the Council had already seen that acting now would save us later, both financially and literally – people would want to live in the Borough and would also want to visit and invest in it. Nature also paid; beauty spots, restoration programmes, nurturing and recovery all encouraged and attracted visitors and investors. Studies had shown the value of health benefits associated with outdoor recreation within the UK was estimated to be between £6.2 billion and £8.4 billion in 2020 with time spent in the outdoors being worth about £4.5 trillion a year in the improved mental health of people. It was also estimated that the NHS could save £2.1 billion every year in treatment costs if everyone in England had access to good quality green spaces. Much of what the Motion aimed to do was partnership work, sharing resources, ideas and best practice. A local nature recovery strategy was a requirement of the 2021 Environment Act and Gloucestershire County Council was the lead authority for that; in addition, Stroud District Council had set up a Biodiversity Officers’ Working Group. From November 2023, it would be a requirement for larger developments to show the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and that had to be incorporated into the Council’s planning policies to ensure that the habitat was delivered and was of high quality. All of the Councils in Gloucestershire, through their participation in Climate Leadership Gloucestershire, had committed to supporting the Gloucestershire Nature and Climate Fund to retain and bring external Biodiversity Net Gain funding into the county and had committed to reviewing their own estate for opportunities. It was noted that the Council would need more Officers and they, in turn, would bring in more funding – the finer detail would need to be decided in Working Groups with specialists who would develop a strategy in conjunction with Officers. If Tewkesbury Borough continued to grow in green terms as it had done recently, she felt people would have further faith that the Borough had their best interests at heart and be proud to live in it.

16.4           The seconder of the Motion felt it was fitting that the new Council would start with this Motion. The work to date on the climate emergency had led to several different initiatives, including the solar canopy, and it was a pleasure to be able to second the Motion. 

16.5           During the discussion which ensued, a Member questioned whether the Borough being carbon neutral by 2030 was achievable. In response, the proposer of the Motion was of the view that there had to be targets and there was no point in them being easily achievable but she did feel they were achievable. In terms of retrofitting gas boilers, there was a need for expert advice but Officers were good at finding funding so it was hoped something could be done. In addition, the Executive Director: Resources explained that the deliverability of targets also depended on factors like development of a strategy and external factors in the carbon journey and Officers would work towards those things over the next seven years and beyond. Another Member questioned how the open letter to the MP would be shared and the proposer explained that the letter would be shared with residents through local and social media via the normal channels the Council used. It was noted that the Motion was very thorough and carefully worded to state the Council would commit to doing all in its power to make Tewkesbury Borough carbon neutral by 2030, but a Member questioned whether outside help would be needed for the Procurement Strategy, whether that would come with a cost and whether that was in budget. In response, the Executive Director: Resources advised that it would be considered by Officers initially then if not achievable there may be a budget available for external help but that would depend on the price and expertise needed. A Member questioned how it was envisioned scope three would be assessed. In response, the proposer of the Motion explained that scope one and two had been the easy part so the Council needed to do scope three. The more Councils that signed up, the more the government would see that local authorities and people were interested. Carbon neutrality needed to be factored in the same way as other implications and that needed to be within the Council’s policy approach hence the Motion.

16.6           In supporting the Motion, a Member expressed the view that this was an extremely important topic. He felt carbon neutrality was a missed target and that the target should actually be carbon negative and therefore taking carbon out of the atmosphere. If this was not achieved the world would see greater problems with food security as farming in some areas would not be possible. Another Member suggested that it would have been helpful for questions to be provided in advance to enable the proposer to provide a briefing note for all Members. During campaigning for the local elections, he had received questions on a number of local issues but also on climate change so he was delighted with the Motion and was certain residents would be supportive of it. He was happy to support the ambitious targets but would also ask for three minor additions to the Motion – 1. That the letter to the MP also be published through the Council’s normal channels; 2. That to celebrate the role Members had as community leaders, the Working Group be asked to inform the Council how that could be embraced; and 3. That a structure be put forward where Members could receive ongoing training to ensure they were fully informed about what they could do as individuals, and as a Council, to get behind the Motion. Another Member offered his full support to the Motion and expressed the view that Town and Parish Councils should also be encouraged to take on board the Motion. He felt that the Borough Council should be leading the way in this regard. A Member endorsed the view that the electorate had expressed great interest in the climate change agenda and it was very clear that, whilst it was recognised the Borough was doing something, it was not really doing enough and residents wanted it to do more. He also endorsed the importance of partnerships and the need to nurture relationships and be more collaborative than the Council had been previously and this would need engagement from everyone in the Council to progress. Several Members offered their support to the Motion and felt the climate anxiety amongst residents, but especially in young people, was getting worse and something needed to be done to address this huge issue. One Member indicated that, whilst he supported the principles of the Motion, he was aware that the Climate and Ecology Bill was a Private Members’ Bill and there were a few elements in the Bill that he had concerns about. The Environment Bill 2021 set targets, and it was worth noting in the existing net zero legislation, 50% of energy had come from renewables in March. The issue he had was with the introduction of peoples panels through the Climate and Ecology Bill and he questioned whether the Motion could be supported without supporting the Bill. The proposer of the Motion appreciated the comments made but she felt the people’s assembly was really important; she also felt that young people had great ideas for tackling climate change and that type of support was essential.

16.7           Accordingly, the Motion was proposed and seconded as set out on the Agenda. A five minute adjournment was requested and the meeting then resumed with the same membership in attendance. Upon being put to the vote, it was

                  RESOLVED          1.  That the Council extend its current scope and declare a                                     Borough wide “Climate and EcologicalEmergency”.

2. That the Council commit to doing all in its power to make Tewkesbury Borough carbon neutral by 2030, taking into account both production and consumption emissions.

3. That the Council commit todoing all in itspower to eliminatethe Council’sscope 3emissions throughthe developmentof acarbon neutralprocurement strategy.

4. That the Council continue its Climate Change and Flood Risk Management Group.

5. That the Council call againupon theUK Governmentto provide additionalpowers andresources tosupport local andnational actiontowards the2030 target.

6. That the Council commit again to working with partners in Gloucestershire to achieve county-wide carbon neutrality aims.

7. That the Council declare a nature (ecological) emergency recognising that the threat to continued human wellbeing from the loss of biodiversity and healthy habitats, whilst linked to the climate emergency, requires specific emergency measures for naturerecovery.

8. That the Council declareits support forthe Climateand Ecology Bill and informthe localmedia ofthis decision.

9. That the Council write an open letter to Laurence Robertson MP, to be shared with residents through local and social media, urging him to sign up to support the Climate and Ecology Bill.

10. That the Council write to the Zero Hour, the organisers of the campaign for the Climate and Ecology Bill, expressing its support(councils@zerohour.uk).