Agenda item - Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill

Proposed by Councillor Heley on behalf of the Green Group.

133.1      The Notice of Motion as listed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Heley on behalf of the Green Group and formally seconded by Councillor Mac Cafferty.

132.1      Councillors Wilkinson and Bagaeen spoke in favour of the motion, although Councillor Bagaeen stated that the Conservative Group could not support it due to the inability to meet the challenges and need for financial support to be identified.

132.2      The Mayor then put the following motion the vote:

Council notes that we have cross party, declared a climate and ecological emergency, hosted the city’s first climate assembly and youth climate assembly and have published our first Carbon Neutral programme. Council also notes that there is a Bill before Parliament—the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill (published as the “Climate and Ecology Bill”)—according to which the Government must develop an emergency strategy to limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels. [1]

Council therefore resolves to:

·      Support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill, through encouraging local MPs to support this bill in Parliament, and through writing to the CEE Bill Alliance,

Further, council also resolves to:

·      Continue cross party work on climate by pledging to join the UK100, the alliance of local government leaders for cleaner, more powerful communities. This pledge asks councillors to:

§  pledge to assess our largest impacts on climate change, prioritise where action needs to be taken and measure and monitor progress towards targets.

§  reduce our emissions at source and limit the use of carbon offsets as part of the global effort to avoid the worst impacts of climate change;

Continue cross party work to ensure Carbon Neutrality by 2030, including through joining lobbying calls of the UK100 partnership of local government.

132.3   The Mayor then called on each of the Group Leaders to confirm their position as well as the Groups in turn followed by each of the Independent Members:

Councillor Mac Cafferty stated that the Green Group were in favour of the motion and this was confirmed by the Green Group Members;

Councillor Platts stated that the Labour Group were in favour of the motion and this was confirmed by the Labour Group Members;

Councillor Bell stated that the Conservative were against the motion and this was confirmed by the Conservative Group Members;

Councillor Brennan confirmed that she was voting for the motion;

Councillor Fishleigh confirmed that she was voting for the motion;

Councillor Janio confirmed that he was voting against the motion;

Councillor Knight confirmed that she was voting for the motion.

132.4   The Mayor confirmed that the motion had been carried.