Agenda

A petition has been received containing over 50 valid signatures stating the following:

Statement:

We, the undersigned, petition Cambridge City Council to: (i) Support the Climate and Ecology Bill (CE Bill); (ii) Inform the local media of this decision; (iii) Write to our local MP, Daniel Zeichner, asking him to support the Bill; and (iv) Write to Zero Hour, the organisers of the cross-party campaign for the CE Bill, expressing Cambridge City Council’s support (councils@zerohour.uk).

Justification:

The cross-party CE Bill would require the UK Government to develop and achieve a new environmental strategy. As the crises in climate and nature are deeply intertwined the Bill requires a new plan to:

·      reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the 1.5°C required under the UK’s Paris Agreement obligations;

·      set nature measurably on the path to recovery by 2030;

·      prioritise nature in decision-making;

·      end fossil fuel production and imports as rapidly as possible; and

·      provide for re-training for those currently working in fossil fuel industries.

Originally introduced to Parliament by Caroline Lucas, it came before the House of Commons in May 2023 as a cross-party Bill. Cambridge City Council needs to join other councils, along with 881 organisations, politicians, and scientists from all over the UK and across 12 political parties, as well as some 42,000 members of the public, in giving it their backing.

The petition organiser will be given 5 minutes to present the petition at the meeting and the petition will then be discussed by Councillors for a maximum of 15 minutes.