‘Pledges change to please big business’

ANYONE who has watched news coverage of the devastating wildfires in Australia or the floods in mainland Europe will recognise the grim picture of climate crisis painted by Julian Woolford (Sentinel, November 4).

The time to act is now, and everyone from world leaders to you and I have a part to play.

Sadly, watching the COP26 summit play out in Glasgow this week, you have to wonder quite how far the climate change penny has dropped amongst world leaders.

We have been treated to a parade of the great and the good, including our own prime minister, trooping up to the podium to make grand statements about how they are going to save the planet.

It all sounds very good, but you cannot help but wonder how many of their good intentions will survive the horse trading that will start as the private jets head home.

Given that money talks, particularly loudly in the ears of politicians with re-election campaigns to fund, there is all too much scope for things to be watered down so as not to upset the big corporations.

Locally, the green credentials of both Stoke-on-trent and Newcastle councils remain questionable so long as they remain keen to build on greenfield sites first.

A point brought into sharp focus by Newcastle starting a consultation on the ‘strategic options’ that will inform its Local Plan this week.

Perhaps how he is going to balance off the pressing need to address climate change and the insistent demands of big business is a question Boris Johnson could answer when he accepts the invitation from Save Our Green Spaces to visit Keele Golf Course – one of the local green spaces under threat.

ADAM COLCLOUGH

PENKHULL