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This council notes:
·
The 2015 Paris Agreement was the
symbolic beginning of a process of international agreement to drastically
reduce carbon emissions with the aim of preventing the worst case scenario of
climate change.
·
The world has now permanently passed
400ppm (parts per million) atmospheric Carbon Dioxide.
·
August 2016 marked 16 consecutive months
of record-breaking global heat.
·
Climate change and the carbon economy
are already linked to 5 million deaths a year.
·
The “climate cushion”, the period where
governments were able to leave the problem for future generations, has entirely
disappeared. Responsibility lies with current national governments and current
local authorities.
·
Cambridge City Council is clear in its
ambition to arrest climate change: deciding in October 2015 to divest from fossil
fuels, deciding in March 2016 to become zero carbon by 2050, and deciding in
October 2016 to source approximately 18,000,000 kWh per year of its own energy
from renewables.
·
That the British government is seriously
proposing airport runway expansion, awarding tax rebates for North Sea oil and
gas companies of around £5 billion more than it receives in revenues, and tying
the hands of local authorities to make decisions that reduce their own
emissions and protect their environment and natural resources.
This council requests
the Executive :
·
To move swiftly to draw up a clear
strategy for becoming zero carbon, and explore opportunities to reach this
target before 2050, seeking partnership with appropriate expert groups such as
the Global Sustainability Institute and the Cambridge Science and Policy
centre, and community groups such as Transition Cambridge and Cambridge Carbon
Footprint.
·
To set an explicit ambition of being the
first UK zero carbon city.
·
To apply, in the year following Brexit,
to become a European Green Capital, to mark Cambridge’s commitment to
sustainability for the benefit of all citizens of the world.
·
To begin a city wide consultation and
behaviour change exercise targeting personal carbon emission reductions, in
partnership with appropriate expert groups.
·
To organise an annual sustainability
festival, starting in 2017, in partnership with appropriate expert groups.
·
To begin in 2017 an annual carbon budget
cycle alongside the financial budget cycle, following the example of Worcester
and Aberdeenshire councils.
·
To implement a new tree-planting
strategy that will add 250 trees to the city per year.
·
To bring a report to Strategy and
Resources committee about setting up a local energy company based on the Robin
Hood model from Nottingham.
·
To take the lead in bundling residents’
energy needs to get a good deal on 100% renewable electricity.
·
To investigate funding options for a
carbon accounting project, including the Economic and Social Research Council.
·
To make budget provision in 2017/18 for a full-time
sustainability officer who will work on embedding sustainability into council
decision making and envisioning a sustainable, Cambridge in a zero carbon lean
economy.
This council resolves
to write to the UK Government, asking them:
·
To recognise the crisis that the world
climate is in, and declare a climate state of emergency.
·
To urgently reduce carbon emissions,
investment in fossil fuels, and regulation which favours
fossil fuels.
Minutes:
Councillor Gillespie proposed and Councillor Gehring seconded the
following motion:
This council notes:
·
The 2015 Paris Agreement was the symbolic beginning
of a process of international agreement to drastically reduce carbon emissions
with the aim of preventing the worst case scenario of climate change.
·
The world has now permanently passed 400ppm (parts
per million) atmospheric Carbon Dioxide.
·
August 2016 marked 16 consecutive months of
record-breaking global heat.
·
Climate change and the carbon economy are already
linked to 5 million deaths a year.
·
The “climate cushion”, the period where governments
were able to leave the problem for future generations, has entirely
disappeared. Responsibility lies with current national governments and current
local authorities.
·
Cambridge City Council is clear in its ambition to
arrest climate change: deciding in October 2015 to divest from fossil fuels,
deciding in March 2016 to become zero carbon by 2050, and deciding in October
2016 to source approximately 18,000,000 kWh per year of its own energy from
renewables.
·
That the British government is seriously proposing
airport runway expansion, awarding tax rebates for North Sea oil and gas
companies of around £5 billion more than it receives in revenues, and tying the
hands of local authorities to make decisions that reduce their own emissions
and protect their environment and natural resources.
This council requests the Executive :
·
To move swiftly to draw up a clear strategy for
becoming zero carbon, and explore opportunities to reach this target before
2050, seeking partnership with appropriate expert groups such as the Global
Sustainability Institute and the Cambridge Science and Policy centre, and
community groups such as Transition Cambridge and Cambridge Carbon Footprint.
·
To set an explicit ambition of being the first UK
zero carbon city.
·
To apply, in the year following Brexit, to become a
European Green Capital, to mark Cambridge’s commitment to sustainability for
the benefit of all citizens of the world.
·
To begin a city wide consultation and behaviour
change exercise targeting personal carbon emission reductions, in partnership
with appropriate expert groups.
·
To organise an annual sustainability festival,
starting in 2017, in partnership with appropriate expert groups.
·
To begin in 2017 an annual carbon budget cycle
alongside the financial budget cycle, following the example of Worcester and
Aberdeenshire councils.
·
To implement a new tree-planting strategy that will
add 250 trees to the city per year.
·
To bring a report to Strategy and Resources
committee about setting up a local energy company based on the Robin Hood model
from Nottingham.
·
To take the lead in bundling residents’ energy needs
to get a good deal on 100% renewable electricity.
·
To investigate funding options for a carbon
accounting project, including the Economic and Social Research Council.
·
To make budget provision in 2017/18 for a full-time
sustainability officer who will work on embedding sustainability into council
decision making and envisioning a sustainable, Cambridge in a zero carbon lean
economy.
This council resolves to write to
the UK Government, asking them:
·
To recognise the crisis that the world climate is
in, and declare a climate state of emergency.
·
To urgently reduce carbon emissions, investment in
fossil fuels, and regulation which favours fossil fuels.
Councillor Robertson proposed and Councillor R. Moore seconded the
following amendment to motion (deleted text struck through and
additional text underlined):
This council notes:
·
The 2015 Paris Agreement
was the symbolic beginning of a process of international agreement to
drastically reduce carbon emissions with the aim of preventing the worst case
scenario of climate change.
·
The world has now permanently
passed 400ppm (parts per million) atmospheric Carbon Dioxide.
·
August 2016 marked 16
consecutive months of record-breaking global heat.
·
Climate change and the
carbon economy are already linked to 5 million deaths a year.
·
The “climate cushion”,
the period where governments were able to leave the problem for future
generations, has entirely disappeared. Responsibility lies with current
national governments and current local authorities.
·
Cambridge City Council is
clear in its ambition to arrest climate change: deciding in October 2015 to
divest from fossil fuels, deciding in March 2016 to become zero carbon by 2050,
and deciding in October 2016 to source approximately 18,000,000 kWh per year of
its own energy from renewables.
·
That the British
government is seriously proposing airport runway expansion, awarding tax
rebates for North Sea oil and gas companies of around £5 billion more than it
receives in revenues, and tying the hands of local authorities to make
decisions that reduce their own emissions and protect their environment and
natural resources.
This council requests the Executive :
·
To move swiftly to draw
up a clear strategy for becoming zero carbon, and explore opportunities to
reach this target before 2050, seeking partnership with appropriate expert
groups such as the Global Sustainability Institute and the Cambridge Science
and Policy centre, and community groups such as Transition Cambridge and
Cambridge Carbon Footprint.
·
To set an explicit
ambition of being the first UK zero carbon city.
·
To apply, in the year
following Brexit, to become a European Green Capital, to mark Cambridge’s
commitment to sustainability for the benefit of all citizens of the world.
·
To begin a city wide
consultation and behaviour change exercise targeting personal carbon emission
reductions, in partnership with appropriate expert groups.
·
To organise an annual
sustainability festival, starting in 2017, in partnership with appropriate
expert groups.
·
To begin in 2017 an annual
carbon budget cycle alongside the financial budget cycle, following the example
of Worcester and Aberdeenshire councils.
·
To implement a new
tree-planting strategy that will add 250 trees to the city per year.
·
To bring a report to
Strategy and Resources committee about setting up a local energy company based
on the Robin Hood model from Nottingham.
·
To take the lead in
bundling residents’ energy needs to get a good deal on 100% renewable
electricity.
·
To investigate funding
options for a carbon accounting project, including the Economic and Social
Research Council.
·
To make budget provision
in 2017/18 for a
full-time sustainability officer who will work on embedding sustainability into
council decision making and envisioning a sustainable, Cambridge in a zero
carbon lean economy.
This council resolves to
write to the UK Government, asking them:
·
To recognise the crisis
that the world climate is in, and declare a climate state of emergency.
·
To urgently reduce carbon
emissions, investment in fossil fuels, and regulation which
favours fossil fuels.
|
Cambridge City Council has an important
role to play in our city in addressing the threat to our world from global
warming. Following a review and consultation
we agreed a new Climate Change Strategy in March this year: This planned 45
actions focussed on five key areas over which we have greatest influence: 1. Reducing
emissions from the City Council estate and operations 2. Reducing energy
consumption and emissions from homes and businesses in Cambridge by promoting
energy efficiency measures, sustainable construction, renewable energy
sources, and behaviour change 3. Reducing
emissions from transport by promoting sustainable transport, reducing car
travel and traffic congestion, and encouraging behaviour change 4. Reducing
consumption of resources, increasing recycling and reducing waste 5. Supporting
Council services, residents and businesses to adapt to the impacts of climate
change The full Climate Change Strategy 2016-2021 can be found at www.cambridge.gov.uk/our-work-towards-a-sustainable-cambridge
Since March progress has been made in many areas to apply the
strategy, for example: ·
Projects to greatly improve energy efficiency of
council buildings have been undertaken which should save around 520,000 kwh
per year, and further such projects are in development ·
The council’s electricity supply (around
7,000,000 kwh per year) has been moved to be entirely from renewable sources We have also developed some of the actions including visiting
Nottingham City Council where we discussed making use of their Robin Hood
Energy Company. Only 24.9% of the electricity they supply comes from
renewable sources but their work on providing a much better deal on
prepayment meters means that we want to find ways to work with them as part
of our anti-poverty strategy. Many of the actions will be take time to implement over the period to
2021 but work is underway on them. For instance a seminar is being planned
which will bring together expert groups and voluntary organisations working
on climate change with the aim of identifying ways to encourage businesses
and other organisations working in and near Cambridge to play their part in
moving the whole city to be carbon neutral by 2050. To reach this position
significantly before 2050 would mean emissions would need to reduce at an
unrealistic rate. For instance a reduction to zero carbon by 2030 would
require annual reductions in emissions of 7% each year. Accordingly this Council
resolves to confirm the Climate Change Strategy 2016-2021 and work on the 45
actions it contains rather than set unrealistic targets and also divert
scarce resources into seeking awards. |
On a show of hands the amendment was carried by 23 votes to 14.
Resolved (by 23
votes to 0) that:
This council notes:
·
The
2015 Paris Agreement was the symbolic beginning of a process of international agreement
to drastically reduce carbon emissions with the aim of preventing the worst
case scenario of climate change.
·
The
world has now permanently passed 400ppm (parts per million) atmospheric Carbon
Dioxide.
·
August
2016 marked 16 consecutive months of record-breaking global heat.
·
Climate
change and the carbon economy are already linked to 5 million deaths a year.
·
The
“climate cushion”, the period where governments were able to leave the problem
for future generations, has entirely disappeared. Responsibility lies with
current national governments and current local authorities.
·
That
the British government is seriously proposing airport runway expansion,
awarding tax rebates for North Sea oil and gas companies of around £5 billion
more than it receives in revenues, and tying the hands of local authorities to
make decisions that reduce their own emissions and protect their environment
and natural resources.
Cambridge City Council has an important role to play in our city in
addressing the threat to our world from global warming. Following a review and
consultation we agreed a new Climate Change Strategy in March this year: This
planned 45 actions focussed on five key areas over which we have greatest
influence:
1.
Reducing emissions from the City Council estate and
operations.
2.
Reducing energy consumption and emissions from
homes and businesses in Cambridge by promoting energy efficiency measures,
sustainable construction, renewable energy sources, and behaviour change.
3.
Reducing emissions from transport by promoting
sustainable transport, reducing car travel and traffic congestion,
and encouraging behaviour change.
4.
Reducing consumption of resources, increasing
recycling and reducing waste.
5.
Supporting Council services, residents and
businesses to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
The full Climate Change Strategy 2016-2021 can be found at www.cambridge.gov.uk/our-work-towards-a-sustainable-cambridge
Since March progress has been made in many areas to apply the strategy,
for example:
·
Projects
to greatly improve energy efficiency of council buildings have been undertaken
which should save around 520,000 kwh per year, and
further such projects are in development.
·
The
council’s electricity supply (around 7,000,000 kwh per
year) has been moved to be entirely from renewable sources.
We have also developed some of the actions including visiting Nottingham
City Council where we discussed making use of their Robin Hood Energy Company.
Only 24.9% of the electricity they supply comes from renewable sources but
their work on providing a much better deal on prepayment meters means that we
want to find ways to work with them as part of our anti-poverty strategy.
Many of the actions will be take time to implement over the period to
2021 but work is underway on them. For instance a seminar is being planned
which will bring together expert groups and voluntary organisations working on
climate change with the aim of identifying ways to encourage businesses and
other organisations working in and near Cambridge to play their part in moving
the whole city to be carbon neutral by 2050. To reach this position
significantly before 2050 would mean emissions would need to reduce at an
unrealistic rate. For instance a reduction to zero carbon by 2030 would require
annual reductions in emissions of 7% each year.
Accordingly this Council resolves to confirm the Climate Change Strategy
2016-2021 and work on the 45 actions it contains rather than set unrealistic
targets and also divert scarce resources into seeking awards.