Good news on Climate Action Plan

There has been a 16.2% cut in carbon emissions from council sources over the past year. This is as a result of the Climate Action Plan drawn up as a result of the Climate Emergency declared in 2019. Some of the major gains have resulted from switching to green energy sources for different council functions. Other positive developments have come from schemes like the Go Green Grants that have provided funding for retrofitting to improve energy efficiency for households on low incomes. Work is underway to reduce emissions from the council's vehicle fleet - using electric where possible, adding solar panels and exploring alternative fuels. Electric Charging Points are rolling out in streets across the borough with 600 due for installation in 2023. Recycling levels have increased by around 10% as a result of the wheelie bin roll out as well as the expansion in range of recycling that can be accepted - to include plastic pots, tubs and trays and foil. Active travel measures are important to shift people away from a reliance on cars which can be beneficial for the environment as well as people’s health. Some 9 km of segregated cycle lanes are encouraging cyclists. School streets schemes which restrict traffic around schools are being introduced to more school to make the area around schools safer for children and encourage walking and cycling. This can help reduce emissions and also improve air quality. The west of the borough is now covered by the London Mayor's Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) which is also having a significant impact on air quality. So there has been good progress in combatting climate change, within the council sphere. There is, though, much more to be done. Funding is key. And that’s where central government needs to step up. Though the agreement of the funding settlement with TFL was welcome it offers much less to boroughs than in previous years. Reducing the number of schemes that can be delivered. More funds are needed to really scale up the response to the climate emergency including for more retrofitted buildings, cycle lanes and electrification of travel. Then there is the biodiversity crisis to address, which links to the climate emergency. The grow zones, extension of community garden and allotments and the net gain in biodiversity that will come, with new developments under the Environment Act, from next year. The council though also has to be a catalyst to bring about change in the wider society, encouraging people to live more sustainably. Everyone can do something. Save energy, drive and fly less The key word to go back to the original motion is emergency. The original Climate Emergency motion came about, partly due to the dire 12 year warning sounded by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report in 2018. That was the time frame to act. A third of the way into that period and the warning signs flash ever brighter. The fires over the summer of drought and heatwave are a recent reminder. So much more has to be done quickly at all levels, if a devastating crisis is to be avoided. Otherwise floods, fires and more devastation beckon.