Agenda item

Motion:   Having submitted notice, Councillor Blackburn proposed (and Councillor Collett seconded):

‘The Council notes:

·       That that the impacts of climate breakdown are already causing serious damage around the world.

·       That the ‘Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C’, published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in October 2018, (a) describes the enormous harm that a 2°C average rise in global temperatures is likely to cause compared with a 1.5°C rise, and (b) confirms that limiting Global Warming to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society and the private sector.

·       That all governments (national, regional and local) have a duty to act, and local governments that recognise this should not wait for their national governments to change their policies; 

·       That strong policies to cut emissions also have associated health, wellbeing and economic benefits; and

·       That, recognising this, a growing number of UK local authorities have already passed 'Climate Emergency' motions.

The Council therefore commits to:

·       Declare a ‘Climate Emergency’ that requires urgent action;

·       Make the Council’s activities net-zero carbon by 2030;

·       Achieve 100% clean energy across the Council’s full range of functions by 2030;

·       Ensure that all strategic decisions, budgets and approaches to planning decisions are in line with a shift to zero carbon by 2030;

·       Support and work with all other relevant agencies towards making the entire area zero carbon within the same timescale;

·       Ensure that all Council led leadership teams embed this work in all areas and take responsibility for reducing, as rapidly as possible, the carbon emissions resulting from the Council’s activities, ensuring that any recommendations are fully costed and that the Executive and Scrutiny functions review council activities taking account of production and consumption emissions and produce an action plan within 12 months, together with budget actions and a measured baseline;

·       Request that Council Scrutiny Committees consider the impact of climate change and the environment when reviewing Council policies and strategies;

·       Work with, influence and inspire partners across Blackpool, Lancashire and the North West to help deliver this goal through all relevant strategies, plans and shared resources by developing a series of meetings, events and partner workshops;

·       Request that the Council and partners - not least the Council’s wholly owned companies, take steps to proactively include young people in the process, ensuring that they have a voice in shaping the future;

·       Request that the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Climate Change convene a Citizens’ Assembly before the end of the calendar year, in order to involve the wider population in this process.  This group would help develop its own role, identify how the Council’s activities might be made net-zero carbon by 2030, consider the latest climate science and expert advice on solutions and to consider systematically the climate change impact of each area of the Council’s activities;

·       Set up a Climate Change Partnership group, involving Councillors, residents, young citizens, climate science and solutions experts, businesses, Citizens Assembly representatives and other relevant parties.  Over the following four years, the Group will consider strategies and actions being developed by the Council and other partner organisations and develop a strategy in line with a target of net zero emissions by 2030.  It will also recommend ways to maximise local benefits of these actions in other sectors such as employment, health, agriculture, transport and the economy;

·       Report on the level of investment in the fossil fuel industry that our pensions plan and other investments have, and review the Council’s investment strategy to give due consideration to climate change impacts in the investment portfolio;

·       Ensure that all reports in preparation for the 2020/ 2021 budget cycle and investment strategy will take into account the actions the council will take to address this emergency;

·       Call on the UK Government to provide the powers, resources and help with funding to make this possible, and ask local MPs to do likewise;

·       Consider other actions that could be implemented, including (but not restricted to): renewable energy generation and storage, providing electric vehicle infrastructure and encouraging alternatives to private car use, increasing the efficiency of buildings, in particular to address fuel poverty; proactively using local planning powers to accelerate the delivery of net carbon new developments and communities, coordinating a series of information and training events to raise awareness and share good practice;

·       Furthermore, this Council makes clear its fundamental opposition to the practice of fracking.  The Council will not allow its land to be used for fracking; and

·       Finally, via the Local Government Association, the Council will invite in a group of experts to advise on what steps can be taken quickly to have the greatest possible impact on air quality, modal shift away from private cars, increased take up on public transport, and ensure that every aspect of the Councils activities are sighted on the need to preserve Blackpool’s ecological and environmental heritage’.

Members went on to debate the motion.

Motion carried:  The motion was submitted to the Council and carried.