Malvern Hills District Council declares climate emergency - The Malvern Observer

Malvern Hills District Council declares climate emergency

Malvern Editorial 5th Aug, 2019   0

MALVERN Hills District Council is the latest local authority to declare a climate emergency and create an action plan for the district to become carbon neutral, writes Sophie Nixon.

Coun John Raine, responsible for environmental services in the council, put forward the motion to move as quickly as possible towards a total net of zero carbon emissions across the district.

He added it had resulted in the council’s Environmental Policy Development Panel being tasked with drawing up a complete fully-costed plan to be approved before the end of March 2020.

The council will also set out a timetable to achieve the target by.




Alongside reducing carbon emissions generated by the council’s own activities, the plan will also consider what can be done to support local businesses and inspire residents to go carbon neutral too.

The officers and councillors will work with organisations such as Worcestershire County Council, the Midland Energy Hub and other councils across Worcestershire to develop the plan.


Councillors also agreed agreed to urge the Government to better support the efforts of the local authorities with their environmental goals.

In October 2018, the International Panel on Climate Change cautioned that for the sake of avoiding dangerous climate breakdown, global carbon emissions must be halved by 2030 and reduced to zero by 2050.

Coun Raine, added: “Climate Change is the most serious crisis facing humanity and as a council we need to take a lead for our communities in tackling this issue.

“The panel will work as quickly as possible to develop a set of proposals that are affordable and deliverable within the fastest possible time frame.”

The council, he said, would not set targets at this stage but was hopeful it could be carbon neutral by 2030.

The leader of Malvern Hills District Council Counc Sarah Rouse said she was grateful to councillors of all parties who unanimously backed this motion.

“When it come to tackling climate change we are united as one and will work together to ensure this council, our residents and businesses play their part in addressing this serious issue.”

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