Subject:		Items referred from 17 December Council meeting - Deputations
Date of Meeting:		19 January 2021
Report of:		Executive Lead Officer for Strategy, Governance & Law
Contact Officer:	Name:	Mark Wall	Tel:	01273 291006
	E-mail:	mark.wall@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Wards Affected:	Various

FOR GENERAL RELEASE

1. SUMMARY AND POLICY CONTEXT:

1.1    To receive the following deputation referred from the Council meeting held on the 17 December 2020.

2. RECOMMENDATIONS:

2.1 That the Committee responds to the deputation either by noting it or where it is considered more appropriate, calls for an officer report on the matter which may give consideration to a range of options and writes to the deputation spokesperson setting out the committee’s decision(s).

3. CONTEXT / BACKGROUND INFORMATION

3.1 To receive the following deputation along with the extract from the council meeting and supporting information which is detailed in appendix 1:

(1) Deputation concerning the Council Communication of the Climate and Biodiversity Emergency

Spokesperson Venetia Carter

Supported by: Josie Darling, Sue Goodwin, Carn Hemingway, Tash Fairbanks, Sarah Gorton, Penny Bay

Summary

We are at a time of ecological crisis.

The science is clear that we are in the sixth mass extinction event and that untold human suffering* will result if we fail to act proportionately on the climate and ecological emergency.

It is hard to face these facts and easy to look the other way.  But just because we do, the problem will not cease to exist.

Both the natural world and human civilisation depend on a stable climate.  The climate crisis is accelerating faster than most scientists predicted and is more severe than anticipated.  This threatens global food supplies bringing the threat of global hunger and conflict that will disproportionately harm the most vulnerable.  The changes will last many generations.

This Council was one of the first in the UK to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency and did so unanimously.   Since then Covid has shown us what an emergency response looks like and how the people are willing and able to change their behaviour for the public good.

Courage to speak of the dangers we are in is needed.

Difficult financial decisions will need to be made to meet the 2030 target set by the Council.  However, the act of making clear that we are in an emergency is not expensive.

There is nothing on the home page of the council website page to indicate that a climate emergency has been declared.  The page that is headed “climate change”, similarly makes no mention of an emergency.  The website should be changed to reflect the declaration of emergency.

When there is danger, the alarm must be sounded.  How else are we to prepare ourselves?

We appeal to you as representatives of your community to find the courage to face an uncertain future and tell the people of Brighton and Hove the truth so that we can work together to be part of the solution. 

 *Bioscience Journal, Jan 2020, https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/70/1/8/5610806

Council

4.30pm 17 December 2020

Virtual

MINUTES

Present:   Councillors Robins (Chair), Mears (Deputy Chair), Allcock, Appich, Atkinson, Bagaeen, Barnett, Bell, Brennan, Brown, Childs, Clare, Davis, Deane, Druitt, Ebel, Evans, Fishleigh, Fowler, Gibson, Grimshaw, Hamilton, Heley, Henry, Hill, Hills, Hugh-Jones, Janio, Knight, Lewry, Littman, Lloyd, Mac Cafferty, McNair, Miller, Moonan, Nemeth, Nield, O'Quinn, Osborne, Peltzer Dunn, Phillips, Pissaridou, Platts, Powell, Shanks, Simson, C Theobald, Wares, West, Wilkinson, Williams and Yates.

PART ONE

65 DEPUTATIONS FROM MEMBERS OF the PUBLIC

(1) CLIMATE AND biodiversity eMERGENCY

spokesperson Venetia Carter

65.1 The Mayor reported that two deputations had been received from members of the public and that he would invite the spokesperson to introduce their deputation and for the relevant Chair to respond. He noted that 15minutes were set aside for the consideration of deputations. 

65.2 The Mayor welcomed Venetia Carter to the meeting and invited her to address the Council.

65.3 Ms. Carter thanked the Mayor and referred to the deputation and outlined the concerns in relation to the climate change and biodiversity emergency facing the city and asking what actions the council would take to address these.

65.4 Councillor Heley thanked Ms Carter for the deputation and stated that the Council was working towards publishing a carbon neutral plan in March 2021 and the findings of the first citizens’ assembly were due to be reported to the Environment, Transport & Sustainability and Policy & Resources Committees in January.

65.5 The Mayor thanked Ms. Carter for joining the meeting and noted that the deputation would be referred to the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee for consideration. The persons forming the deputation would be invited to attend the meeting and would be informed subsequently of any action to be taken or proposed in relation to the matter set out in the deputation.