Agenda item

CLIMATE CHANGE EMERGENCY IN HAVERING (agenda item 14B)

Minutes:

Motion on behalf of the Upminster and Cranham Residents’ Group

 

This Council notes:

 

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s warning that we have 12 years to make the necessary changes to limit a rise in global temperatures by1.5c. Failure to act will see a marked increase in sea levels and flooding, extreme and abrupt changes to weather patterns, crop failures, extinctions of plant, insect and animal species and global economic disruption and crisis. This will detrimentally impact on the well-being of the people of Havering and billions of people around the world.

 

At the Global Climate Talks in Poland last December the UK, along with over 200 nations, agreed action on Climate Change with a much greater role strongly implied for Local and Regional Authorities like Havering in assisting Governments to achieve their carbon emission savings.

 

In the words of Sir David Attenborough:

 

“Right now, we are facing a man-made disaster of global scale. Our greatest threat in thousands of years - Climate Change. If we don’t take action, the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon. The world’s people have spoken. Their message is clear. Time is running out.’

 

The Council therefore resolves to:

 

1.    Declare a Climate Emergency and publicise this to the people of Havering to raise awareness, and support the public to take effective action.

 

2.    Request Cabinet initiate a full Environmental Audit of Havering Council to measure its carbon footprint, identify hotspots and work toward being carbon neutral in line with the latest targets set and agreed by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; with Cabinet to report to the first meeting of the working party, referred to at 4. below, on the scope of the environmental audit.

 

3.    Significantly improve our recycling rate to reach the target of 55% by 2025, and ask that the Cabinet implement a range of short term measures to improve recycling rates, in advance of a full review of the waste collection and disposal service.

 

4. Set up a Councillor Working Party including the appropriate Cabinet Lead with a remit to:

a) Commission and oversee the Environmental Audit;

b) Consult expert opinion in the field, as appropriate;

c) Identify practical measures to reduce emissions and the Council’s carbon footprint;

d) Encourage action in the wider community, businesses and other key organisations e.g. NHS and Educational Institutions;

e) Report to Full Council within six months with an action plan to address the emergency and incorporating proposals on the investment implications of this proposed activity.

 

5.    Consider Environmental Impact as part of any new policy.

 

6.    Seek to collaborate with other Local and Regional Authorities on emission reduction projects as appropriate and to request thatthe Leader of the Council write to the Minister of State for Climate Change and Industry, requesting that national policy is urgently developed to reflect the seriousness of the current emergency and to release funds to local authorities that would allow them to take the necessary measures at the local level.

 

Amendment on behalf of the Independent Residents’ Group

 

Council agrees calls to declare “a climate emergency” are misplaced becauseman-made climate change is an elementary scam requiring only a basic understanding of carbon dioxide to understand.

  

Carbon dioxide is essential to life on earth as Humans/Animals cannot even breathe without it and its the food plants breath to make them grow. Carbon dioxide is a tiny fraction of the atmosphere 0.038% and the man made emissions are a tiny fraction of natural and variable carbon dioxide, making any man made emissions irrelevant as easily eclipsed by natural variations.

 

Thus to believe a tiny fraction of man-made carbon dioxide emissions determines climate is a religious rather than scientific conviction, particularly as there are many things that determine climate including the sun, moon, gulf stream, oceans, volcanoes, clouds, water vapour and other greenhouse gases.

  

This matters locally because the recycling agenda promoted by climate change legislation has made waste disposal so expensive its resulted in a worldwide epidemic of fly-tipping, including plastics, which undermines the environment and costsall councils, including Havering, many £millions to clear.

The amendment on behalf of the Independent Residents’ Group was NOT AGREED by 40 votes to 3 (see division 7) and the motion on behalf of the Upminster and Cranham residents’ Association Group was NOT AGREED by 30 votes to 17 (see division 8).

 

No motion was therefore agreed.