In December 2021, the government’s Committee on Climate Change(CCC) published their latest report to government, Local Government and the Sixth Carbon Budget’ (https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/local-authorities-and-the-sixth-carbon-budget/). The report makes crystal clear to government and local authorities that local authority action is critical to cutting emissions;
‘their leadership role in partnerships and with the public places them at the heart of the climate conversation and in developing and replicating local solutions’.
The report evidences how local authorities like Derbyshire County Council and the district councils collectively have power or influence over roughly one third of all UK climate changing greenhouse gas emissions through planning decisions, building control, building design codes, highways decisions and waste and recycling policies. Moreover the report makes clear that local authorities already have the powers to make change happen.
In the report, the CCC make 10 key recommendations to local authorities (See Box 2 page11). Probably the most important of them is this;
| Communicate and engage with local communities, businesses and partners on Net Zero so that a mandate for action is maintained. Support community action with citizens, schools, businesses and other groups. Assess the skills needed locally to deliver the transition, developing green and low-carbon jobs and supporting a resilient recovery. |
So the CCC is saying councils must consult with their residents and work with them to understand their views on climate change, secure their support and engage and support them to take action individually and collectively on climate change.
The Derbyshire county and some district elections will be held on 6th May. 2021 We need to be sure that the candidates we elect are going to take action NOW to protect us all. The Derbyshire Climate Coalition is campaigning asking all election candidates to sign up to the following climate action pledge;
If elected, I pledge to ensure that our council works with the community to rapidly implement a Climate Action Plan which strives to cut carbon emissions drastically by 2030, and that the climate and ecological emergency is a central consideration in all council actions.’
We urge you to contact ALL the candidates standing for election in your ward and ask them what they will do to address the Climate and Ecological emergency if elected and ask them to sign the pledge. You can find out how your own council’s performance on this critical issue compares against the average council by going to this website; https://policy.friendsoftheearth.uk/sites/files/policy/documents/2019-09/League_table_England_Wales.pdf
Or go to this page and enter your postcode for a detailed assessment of how your council is rated;
https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate-friendly-communities