MOVES have been made in the effort to fight climate change in the district.
Warwick District’s People’s Inquiry Panel on Climate Change recently met for an update on the council’s climate change work since it made its recommendations a year ago.
Out of a random selection of 5,000 residents, 30 were chosen to form the panel in late 2020, reflecting the district’s population through age, gender, ethnicity, geography, and attitude to climate change.
They were asked to consider what actions should be taken in the district to address climate change by 2030.
And after a number of sessions focusing on transport, housing, waste, and finance, the panel submitted its recommendations to the council.
They included improving cycle paths, ensuring new-builds are carbon neutral, campaigns encouraging people to make small lifestyle changes and retrofitting council-owned properties to improve energy efficiency.
The panel was updated on the work the council has undertaken in the past year including improved cycling access through the district’s parks, promoting a sustainable travel reward scheme, installing over 50 charging points in council car parks and over £5million received in grants to improve energy efficiency in homes.
The panel was also advised of a net zero carbon development plan requiring all new builds to be zero carbon and a free webinar series for SMEs to help them become carbon neutral.
Panel member Ignaty Dyakov-Richmond said: “It is great to see the effort the council makes to tackle climate change.
“I appreciate that they have limited – human and financial – resources and not everything is within the remit of the district council.
“I do hope that they feel supported by what we said at the last meeting and will be bold in implementing solutions which will help people live healthier and more sustainable lifestyles – for the planetary and human sake. There is no reason why Warwick district cannot lead the way for others in this country and beyond.”
District climate change spokesman Coun Alan Rhead said the input and feedback from the panel had been invaluable.
He added: “We have achieved an incredible amount in the past year, but there’s always more to do.
“All of the council’s services are playing their part in addressing climate change and we are using our budgets in areas like housing, assets and waste management to make a real difference.
“In addition, the council has recently agreed to provide £500,000 for the Climate Action Fund that will allow us to continue our work, in addition to £140,000 for our large-scale tree planting programme.
“Our ambition is bold but it’s achievable – to become a net zero carbon council by 2025 and for South Warwickshire to be low carbon by 2030. Working together – residents, businesses, councils – we can achieve this.”
Visit www.warwickdc.gov.uk/climatechange to find out more about the council’s Climate Change Action Programme.
