Agenda item

The purpose of this motion is to support the Climate and Nature Bill. A short description of the bill and the actions requested of the council follows: A history of the bill and links to further reading are provided for convenience.

 

Cambridge City Council notes that:

·      The Climate and Nature Bill would require the UK government to make a full plan to protect us from the climate emergency and threats to the natural world.

·      That such a plan is needed to reverse global warming and loss of plants, animals and people.

 

In particular, the Bill would require the government to commit to the following actions:

·      Delivering a joined-up environmental plan, as the crises in climate and nature are deeply intertwined, requiring a plan that considers both together;

i.               Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with 1.5°C in line with the best chance of meeting the UK’s Paris Agreement obligations;

ii.             Not only halting, but also reversing the decline in nature, setting nature measurably on the path to recovery by 2030; the existing Environment Act aims only to halt the decline of nature by 2030.

iii.            Taking responsibility for our overseas footprint, both emissions and ecological;

iv.           Prioritising nature in decision-making, and ending fossil fuel production and imports as rapidly as possible;

v.             Providing for retraining of people currently working in fossil fuel industries; and

vi.           Giving people a say in finding a fair way forward through an independent and temporary Climate & Nature Assembly, representative of the UK population, an essential tool for bringing public opinion along with the unprecedented pace of change required. Weaning ourselves off fossil fuels means big changes, which is why it’s important that everyone is on board with them.

 

Cambridge City Council therefore resolves to:

1.    Support the Climate and Nature Bill;

2.    Inform local residents, and local press/media of this decision;

3.    Write to Daniel Zeichner MP and Anthony Browne MP to inform them that this motion has been passed and urging them to sign up to support the Bill;

4.    Write to Zero Hour, the organisers of the cross-party campaign for the CAN Bill, expressing its support (campaign@zerohour.uk).

5.    Write to Sir Keir Starmer MP asking him to confirm his party’s support for the bill and requesting that the bill be upgraded from a private members’ bill to a government bill should there be a change of government.

 

Background Notes (not part of active motion):

 

History

1.    The 2024 version of the Climate and Nature Bill was introduced by Labour MP, Alex Sobel on 21 March 2024 and will receive a second reading on 17 May 2024.

2.    Previous versions were introduced by Green MP Caroline Lucas (twice) and Labour’s Olivia Blake (once)

3.    A petition requesting support for the Bill was submitted to Environment and Community Scrutiny Committee by local Green party officers with advice from the Zero Hour campaign group on 21 March 2024 and was approved by councillors including Cllrs Glasberg and Moore.

4.    The Bill is backed by over180 cross-party MPs and Peers, 354 local authorities, numerous eminent scientists, businesses, and environmental organisations and 42,000 members of the public.

 

Further Reading

History of bill 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_and_Ecological_Emergency_Bill

 

Zero Hour briefing

https://www.zerohour.uk/downloads/climate-and-nature-bill-briefing.pdf

 

Text of Bill

https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3707

 

Under Council Procedure Rule 13.3.1 this motion was withdrawn.