Assembly will hear ideas to tackle global crisis
PEOPLE can have their say on what can be done to tackle “the most pressing issue facing our planet”.
Residents in Cheltenham are being urged to participate in a Climate Emergency Assembly next month.
They will be given an opportunity to share their views on what needs to be done.
The meeting, which will be chaired by Councillor Max Wilkinson (LD, Oakley) at the Municipal Offices on Promenade, was proposed after a motion to declare a climate emergency was passed unanimously by Cheltenham Borough Council in February.
More than 100 councils across the country have reportedly declared a climate emergency, the most recent in Gloucestershire being Cotswold District Council at the start of this month.
Mr Wilkinson said: “The climate emergency is the most pressing issue facing our town, our country and our planet.
“Many people have contacted me since I proposed the motion earlier this
year and I know there are plenty of ideas about how we should go about things locally.
“That’s why it’s really important that we have this assembly to hear what everybody has to say and use the feedback to build on our local initiatives.
“It’s inevitable that some of the things we have to consider will involve new ways of doing things and the debate will be tough at times.”
The Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Cheltenham added: “We cannot ignore this huge problem and it’s really important our community talks things through so we can all gain a greater understanding of the complex challenges we all face together.”
Mr Wilkinson’s proposal received unanimous backing at a Cheltenham Borough Council meeting in February.
The council is now preparing a report to look at what can be done locally to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
Stroud District Council declared a climate emergency last November and when Cotswold District Council unanimously approved calling a climate emergency at a full council meeting this month it stated that it would agree on a “wide range of actions to protect the environment”.
The event in Cheltenham will start at 7.15pm on Tuesday, August 6 in the council chamber.
Anyone wishing to speak on a topic at the assembly is asked to register their intention, along with details of their area of interest, in advance by emailing contact@maxwilkinson.org.