East Riding Council ‘should declare a climate emergency’
REVIEW PANEL’S CALL FOLLOWS TWO FAILED ATTEMPTS SINCE 2019
A REVIEW panel has recommended that East Riding Council declare a climate emergency as a report from the body stated the work required on the issue would be “immense”.
East Riding Council’s Climate Change review panel has published 12 recommendations on the environment along with a report detailing its findings.
Recommendations include creating a climate change strategy and action plan, ensuring environmental factors are considered in procurement and contracts and studies on using hydrogen fuel.
Review panel chair Councillor Mike Medini said the recommendations and report gave the council “clear aspirations” on how to achieve its environmental goals.
The findings of the panel, set up in September 2019, are now set to go to the council’s Overview and Management Committee before members vote on the proposals in February.
The recommendations follow two failed attempts to get a climate emergency declared, the latest from Yorkshire Party Councillor Andy Walker who tabled a motion rejected at a meeting in July.
Council deputy leader Mike Stathers said the local authority had wanted to wait before making the declaration to avoid it being “purely symbolic”.
Cllr Stathers said: “By taking a considered and meticulous approach, a declaration will now provide residents, businesses and communities with a clear plan on how the East Riding will move forward and tackle this issue and I do believe this places the council in a strong position to deliver in comparison areas.
“The council had always recognised the threat of climate change and the risks it posed and had undertaken a great deal of work over the years to address this, but we are not complacent and realise a great deal more needs to be done, and will be done.
Review panel chair Cllr Medini said: “Members of the panel undertook a rigorous assessment of all the available data and information regarding climate change and now has a clear understanding of all factors involved in regards to climate change in the East Riding.”
The panel recommended closer partnerships with residents, schools and businesses to help them cut emissions and reduce carbon footprints, as well as making the declaration.
An executive summary to the report from the panel stated while the council already had several individual policies to combat climate change, an overarching strategy was now needed.
It also stated extra government funding would be needed going forward to help the council tackle worsening coastal erosion and flooding as the effects of climate change take hold.
Cllr Medini wrote in a foreword to the report: “The scale of the work needed for the council to meet the government’s target of being carbon net zero by 2050 is immense and should not be underestimated.
“While accepting that work needed to pick up pace, the panel was pleased with the level of work already underway.”
The council already signed up to the government’s net zero emissions by 2050 target and has reduced energy used by street lights by 23 per cent since 2015. to other local authority