Climate change emergency declared by County Council

joshua

Well-Known Forumite
Climate change emergency declared by County Council
Lauren Walker August 14, 2019
0 63 1 minute read
Following a July day that saw record-breaking high temperatures across the UK, Staffordshire County Council declared a ‘climate emergency’.
Councillors vowed to refresh the Council’s climate change strategy, continue their support to local councils in tackling climate change, and committed to providing a strong, unified voice on behalf of councils when lobbying the Government in a meeting of the County Council on Thursday 25th July.

County Councillor Conor Wileman, Cabinet Support Member for Environmental Future, who put forward the motion, said: “Declaring an emergency on climate change is an important first step; what we need to do now is set ambitious but achievable targets to protect our environment and reduce carbon emissions. The council has already over recent years reduced its carbon footprint significantly but we recognise that much more must be done. We will work closely with our district and borough partners, continue to lobby the Government to address this climate emergency and consider the implementation of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

“We will act quickly to set stretching targets for Staffordshire following the Government’s commitment to net zero carbon emission by 2050 and bring forward our proposals to meet these targets this year.”

The declaration came a month after the county council launched its Air Aware initiative, which aims to improve air quality in the county. Work so far includes developing travel plans with businesses to reduce the number of single workers commuting, improving air quality around schools and looking at the future demand for electric car charging points in Staffordshire.

Running until the summer of 2020, the project aims for a 10 per cent reduction in local contributions on air pollution emissions and concentrations, and the county council is working with Staffordshire’s eight districts and boroughs, as well as Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Highways England.

Helen Fisher, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Transport and Highways, said: “Exposure to air pollution is costing lives and damaging the health of others, with children and older people particularly susceptible.

“This is a problem for everyone in our society and we are going to have to work together to make a difference.”

People interested in the Air Aware campaign can sign up to the Air Aware Staffordshire Digest newsletter: https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Customer-Alerts/Customer-Alerts.aspx

Any bets on the solution involving charging motorists ?
 

Tilly

Well-Known Forumite
Cabinets

Made from teak

From the jungle

Flown over

Isn't it

Jumpers

Goalposts

I say
 

PeterD

ST16 Represent.
Councillors get confused between weather and climate, decide to act for benefit of local press. More to follow.
 

Tilly

Well-Known Forumite
Local press?

Paper?

Trees?

Carbon footprint?

Wayfarers?

Small paws in the park?

Ooh

Suit you sir

Isn't it
 

The Hawk

Well-Known Forumite
“We will act quickly to set stretching targets for Staffordshire following the Government’s commitment to net zero carbon emission by 2050 and bring forward our proposals to meet these targets this year.”

I suspect they really mean that they will bring forward their proposals this year.

I think the discussion was a bit rushed, so they could get onto the next item on their agenda, which just happened to be a long discussion on increasing their allowances.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
“We will act quickly to set stretching targets for Staffordshire following the Government’s commitment to net zero carbon emission by 2050 and bring forward our proposals to meet these targets this year.”
Targets that can be stretched can be quite handy...
 

Raven

Well-Known Forumite
County Councillor Conor Wileman, Cabinet Support Member for Environmental Future, who put forward the motion, said: “Declaring an emergency on climate change is an important first step; what we need to do now is set ambitious but achievable targets to protect our environment and reduce carbon emissions.

= will keep my none job going for a good few years to come as we dream up ever more "crucial" initiatives to save the planet (or our jobs)
 

Tilly

Well-Known Forumite
As predicted on Hector's House

Barley Sugar - the drug of a nation

Plastic in the atmosphere - wanted posters of Russ Abbott

It's all over

Pick a nation state

Tell no-one

Hide
 

BobClay

Well-Known Forumite
Well Siberia is on fire, the Amazon rain forest is on fire, Greenland ice is disappearing fast.

I think somebody should send a memo to somebody about all this. Maybe even TWO memos. :eek::heyhey:
 
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