A CLIMATE emergency has been declared by Warwickshire County Council (WCC) following unanimous support.
The council has committed to ‘working towards’ the county becoming carbon neutral – when emissions are balanced out by measures to counteract them – by 2030.
Goals in the motion – proposed by Liberal Democrat councillor Jenny Fradgley – pledged to focus on areas such as transport and waste, to ‘work towards’ WCC becoming carbon neutral organisation by 2025 and to lobby central government.
But the ruling Conservative group refused to agree clear goals to becoming a zero carbon organisation – as urged by Labour, Green and Liberal Democrat parties.
Instead a compromise was reached to agree target dates for carbon reduction within six months. A cross party working group will be set up to devise a plan of action to achieve this.
Green Party leader Jonathan Chilvers said: “I will now be looking to see the Conservative-led council to act in this light and agree ambitious and achievable targets to be zero carbon within six months.
“Warwickshire County Council has declared we face an emergency. An emergency means we need to take calm, urgent and decisive action. An emergency means it is not business as usual. We face a major threat to our security and our everyday lives. It’s time to change”
The declaration follows those recently made by Warwick and Stratford district councils and are now among some 180 authorities across the UK which have pledged to become carbon neutral.
Across the world, scientists and eco-activists have pledged to limit inevitable global warming to just 1.5 degrees celsius rather than the predicted four degrees scientists estimate would be reached if action was not taken.
