To consider the Motion on Notice received from Councillor Malvisi:
“This Council pledges to:
1. Acknowledge a climate emergency.
2. Set up a Task Force, commencing by September 2019, to examine ways in which Babergh & Mid Suffolk Councils will respond to the climate change challenge on a spend to save basis, with the ambition to make Babergh & Mid Suffolk Councils carbon neutral by 2030.
3. To work with partners across the county and region, including the LEP and the Public Sector Leaders, towards the aspiration of making the county of Suffolk carbon neutral by 2030.
4. To work with Government to a) deliver its 25-year Environment Plan and b) increase the powers and resources available to local authorities in order to make the 2030 target easier to achieve.
Proposer: Councillor Elisabeth Malvisi
Seconder: Councillor John Ward
Minutes:
12.1 The Chair invited Councillor Malvisi to move the Motion on Notice.
12.2 Councillor Malvisi began by advising Members on some background information including:
· That the United Nations Inter-Governmental panel on climate change warned that there were twelve years to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 centigrade, and that failure to do so would see a marked increase in sea levels and flooding, severe changes in weather patterns, crop failure, extinction of animals and global economic crisis.
· That failure to take action would have a detrimental impact on the wellbeing of the population including Babergh residents and billions of people around the world.
· At the global climate talks in December 2018 the UK signed up together with two hundred countries and agreed action on Climate change with a much greater role applied for Local and regional authorities in assisting Government in achieving their carbon emissions savings.
· Eighty-five local authorities had so far passed a climate emergency Motion to reduce their carbon footprint and to promote sustainable urban environments and economies.
· Tackling climate change could not be left to the Government alone but was the responsibility of everybody to stop the threat to the planet.
12.3 As the portfolio holder for Environment, Councillor Malvisi would like Council to resolve to support the environmental sustainability task force and to consider the following actions:
· A commission and environmental audit to identify pollution hotspots;
· An urban assessment with an aim to identify areas of improvement across the district;
· Consult experts in the field as appropriate;
· Collaborate with neighbouring and regional authorities and communities to encourage practical measures to reduce carbon footprints and to develop community renewable energy projects;
· Encourage all sectors across the district to take steps to reduce waste and become carbon neutral;
· Develop a road map for Babergh District to go carbon neutral by 2030;
· Report to Cabinet and Full Council within six months of the task force starting with an action plan setting out conservation and environmental sustainability goals to address the targets by 2030;
· Incorporate proposals on the investment implications of this proposed activity;
· Write to the Minister of State for Clean Energy and Clean Growth and state that national policy is urgently developed to reflect the seriousness of the current emergency and to release funds to authorities encouraging them to take the necessary measures at local level.
12.4 Councillor Malvisi then read the Motion to Members:
“This Council pledges to:
1. Acknowledge a climate emergency.
2. Set up a Task Force, commencing by September 2019, to examine ways in which Babergh & Mid Suffolk Councils will respond to the climate change challenge on a spend to save basis, with the ambition to make Babergh & Mid Suffolk Councils carbon neutral by 2030.
3. To work with partners across the county and region, including the LEP and the Public Sector Leaders, towards the aspiration of making the county of Suffolk carbon neutral by 2030.
4. To work with Government to a) deliver its 25-year Environment Plan and b) increase the powers and resources available to local authorities in order to make the 2030 target easier to achieve.
12.5 Councillor Malvisi PROPOSED the Motion as set out in the Agenda, which was SECONDED by Councillor Ward.
12.6 Councillor Hardacre PROPOSED an amendment to the Motion, which was included in the tabled papers and advised Members that the proposed amendments to the Motion were highlighted in yellow:
The Council pledges to:
Acknowledge a climate emergency.
Declare a goal to make the council carbon neutral by 2030
Request that in 2019 the Cabinet member for the Environment convenes a working group of citizens selected to reflect the range of demographics in the district.This group would meet to consider the climate change impact of each area of the Council's activities, and in consultation with scientific and expert advisors produce a set of recommendations for ways to bring each of these areas to zero by 2030.
To work with partners across the county and region, including the LEP, Public Sector Leaders and the Suffolk Climate Change Partnership to implement the recommendations of the working group and work towards the aspiration of making the entire county of Suffolk carbon neutral by 2030.
To work with Government to a) deliver its 25-year Environment Plan and b) increase the powers and resources available to local authorities in order to make the 2030 target easier to achieve.
12.7 He welcomed the original Motion and said he would be voting for the Motion. However, the amendment was an attempt to clarify the Motion in a collaborative way.
12.8 Councillor Hardacre stated that paragraph 3 had been completely re-written and that the key issues were to get Members of the public involved in a consultation from the start. He described examples from another authority Campden?? and Oxford, in which 50 people had been involved in a citizen’s working group, as part of the consultation and had made recommendations to the Council. He felt that this amendment would allow the public to be involved and that the Council should implement the recommendations from the working group.
12.9 Councillor Jamieson stated that he supported Councillor Hardacre and SECONDED the amendment.
12.10 The Chair put the amendment to the Councillor Malvisi, the proposer of the Motion, who did not accept the amendment.
12.11 She stated that a task force would be set up and that the Motion stated that work would be undertaken with partners and that the Suffolk Climate Change Partnership was one of these partners.
12.12 She continued that the Councillors had been elected to be the voice of the people and that the public would be included at a later stage.
12.13 The Task Force would bring a plan back to Council for approval in six months’ time, including Terms of Reference, which was critical to the success of the project.
12.14 She stated there was no need for an amendment at this point.
12.15 Members debated the amendment.
12.16 Councillor Ward supported Councillor Malvisi and said that the year 2030 would be difficult to achieve and that the Government had set the date to 2050.
12.17 He continued that often citizens representative groups did not represent the general population. He re-initiated Councillor Malvisi’s point that Members were elected as representatives and that this was the responsibility of the Members.
12.18 Councillor Lindsay specified that the group of citizens were to be selected from across the District by inviting people to come and be involved. This would ensure a general cross section, which would add impact to the work undertaken. He hoped that Councillor Malvisi did not rule out the idea of a task force.
12.19 Councillor Dawson felt that the amendment was slightly inflammatory by naming it ‘Climate Emergency’, which was sometimes associated with extremism. She stated that mechanisms had already been put in place nationally to deal with climate change and that carbon admission targets were set to deal with carbon emissions. She felt that damage could be inflicted on the economy of Babergh if carbon reduction was being forced through too quickly.
12.20 Councillor Lindsay raised a point of order and reminded Members that the words ‘Climate Emergency’ were included in the Motion and asked if Councillor Dawson was objecting to the Motion.
12.21 Councillor Dawson stated that she expressed her point of view for both the Motion and the amendment.
12.22 Councillor Fraser felt that the suggestion of selecting members of the public from the electoral role and inviting them to be part of a Climate working group was likely to have a low attendance and would be unworkable.
12.23 Councillor McCraw returned to the question of the Task Force and asked that it had representatives from the different political groups. He understood the Green group’s point of view, however he stated that Members had the mandate to take action as elected representatives of the public.
12.24 He continued that that green issues were now on everybody’s agenda, which was a result and a success of the green politics, however he would not be voting for the amendment, as he thought that citizens working groups was not effective and that the Motion was sufficient to be a starting point for achieving the target of being carbon neutral.
12.25 Councillor Malvisi responded to Members that she was concerned by using the electoral roll to ask people to join a task force due to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). She was sure that the Parish Councils would not appreciate members of the public being paid to attend a task force, when it was the purpose of the Councillors to undertake this.
12.26 She continued that the task force had not been selected yet, but it was the intention to have a cross section of Members included in the task force and that the Terms of Reference would be central to enable the task force to remain focussed on the purpose of the task force.
12.27 The Monitoring Officer reminded Members that the Council could comment and commit to pledge to the Motion, however that Cabinet had to approve the Terms of Reference.
12.28 Councillor Cresswell agreed that Members had been elected to represent the people.
12.29 The amendment was put to Members for voting and was LOST.
12.30 Members then debated the Motion and the Monitoring Officer clarified that Babergh was voting on the Motion for Babergh, but as it was a joint policy Mid Suffolk District Council was included in the wording.
12.31 Councillor Davis fully supported the Motion and stressed the importance of reducing carbon dioxide. He detailed the advantage of Hydro power from the North Sea and to use the natural resources provide energy to the community.
12.32 Councillor Lindsay stated that he supported the Motion however, it was important to be clear of what the Council was committing to, as every policy had to be scrutinised to ensure that it reduced or increased the use of carbon dioxide. He was concerned the support for the Sudbury Bypass and the Ipswich Northern Bypass would increase the use of cars. He continued that the increase of the use of electric cars did not necessarily achieve a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and it was not likely to support the target set by the Council for 2030. He stated that more emphasis should be put on the use of public transport, cycling and walking.
12.33 Councillor Beer asked for a point of clarity to Councillor Lindsay with regards to the support of the Sudbury Bypass and the Ipswich Northern bypass.
12.34 Councillor Lindsay replied that he referred to the Sudbury Vision and that he personally did not support either of the bypasses.
12.35 Councillor Malvisi did not think it was within the Council’s remit to change business models and were not able to influence the way business preferred to conduct business. The Council acknowledged that there was an issue, and this was what the Motion was for.
12.36 The Motion was put to Members for voting and the Motion was CARRIED by a unanimous vote.
It was RESOLVED: -
“This Council pledges to
1. Acknowledge a climate emergency.
2. Set up a Task Force, commencing by September 2019, to examine ways in which Babergh & Mid Suffolk Councils will respond to the climate change challenge on a spend to save basis, with the ambition to make Babergh & Mid Suffolk Councils carbon neutral by 2030.
3. To work with partners across the county and region, including the LEP and the Public Sector Leaders, towards the aspiration of making the county of Suffolk carbon neutral by 2030.
4. To work with Government to a) deliver its 25-year Environment Plan and b) increase the powers and resources available to local authorities in order to make the 2030 target easier to achieve.
Supporting documents: