We must act now on climate emergency

CLIMATE change is the largest crisis facing the planet. What the Global North and much of the South do in the next decade to limit emissions will be critical to the world’s future.

As lead experts tells us – we need to act now. We must work together to find solutions to cut the carbon we produce. Sadly, the recent UK government spending review barely mentioned investment measures to help address the ‘climate emergency’.

The COP26 conference brought world leaders together to commit to fast tracking their actions on Climate Change. World leaders must step up by committing to the 1.5C – aligned target from the biggest emitters.

A responsible national government should invest £28b every year of this decade to support Electric vehicles, safer green spaces, warmer homes with lower energy bills and create new jobs as part of a ‘green revolution’ in wind hydrogen industries and local neighbourhoods.

Fairness and a ‘just transition’ should be at the heart of any responsible climate policy.

Newcastle Council together with other core cities is playing a pivot role by raising awareness, declaring a ‘Climate & Ecological Emergency’ and committing the city to be Net Zero by 2030 – 20 years ahead of the UK Government’s target.

The council’s Net Zero Action Plan is reviewed regularly with targets monitored.

Current actions include decarbonising public buildings, increasing access to EV charging points; helping to install heat pumps and boosting energy efficiency in resident homes alongside planting thousands of new trees and creating bee-friendly verges. A number of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods are being set up with the aim of making streets safer and greener. Stephen Lambert, Ged Bell and

Anya Durrant, Newcastle City Councillors for the Kenton Ward