25 June 2019
Green councillors in Norwich are welcoming the proposal of a motion in support of community solar power at tonight’s council meeting.
Leader of the Green Party Group, Councillor Martin Schmierer said:
“ Following years of Greens campaigning for solar panels to be installed on council property and for Norwich to use more locally-produced, renewable energy, I’m glad to see the council is engaging with the subject.
“It is frightening that, both locally and nationally, there has not been more political support for renewable energy, given that we have just another eleven years to take action to stop the worst effects of climate change. I was appalled when the government ended the feed-in tariff completely, earlier this year. So many green jobs in the renewable energy industry are threatened as a result.”
Councillor Jamie Osborn, who will be commenting on tonight’s motion said:
“Now, more than ever, we need energy to be provided in the most efficient way, close to people’s homes, from clean sources. There are so many practical actions I would like to see in Norwich, such as the installation of solar panels on large roofs across the city, battery storage, solar charging points for electric vehicles and an expectation of more renewable energy in newly-built homes and other buildings. I urge the council to start programmes for such innovations immediately.
“Calls for national action are good, the promise of a report on new models of finance is good, but let’s treat this as the emergency it is and set an ambitious, realistic plan for local action, starting now. We urgently need more action in the coming decade than in the last.”
Notes:
1. Green councillors have been campaigning for more renewable energy in Norwich for a number of years. Former Green Norwich City Councillor Rupert Read called for a Green New Deal in 2009: https://www.redpepper.org.uk/A-Green-New-Deal/
2. Councillor Osborn will be asking the following question to today’s council meeting:
In January 2019, council resolved to call on Westminster to provide the powers and resources to make the city of Norwich carbon neutral as soon as possible and to work with other local authorities to determine and implement best practice methods to limit global warming to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Can the cabinet member tell me what has been done to act on these resolutions?
