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Climate Emergency Declaration Called for by Greens with ‘No Time to Waste’

28 May 2021

Climate Emergency Declaration Called for by Greens with ‘No Time to Waste’

A new group of councillors are calling for Norfolk County Council to declare a Climate Emergency at their very first meeting.

Jamie Osborn, Paul Neale and Ben Price were elected to Norfolk County Council less than two weeks ago and are insisting that the council needs to take action to mitigate against dangerous climate change immediately.

The first Green motion will be put at the council’s AGM, while the Greens will still be celebrating their return to County Hall. The motion asks other councillors to recognise ‘the dangerous and accelerating effects of climate change and ecological destruction for Norfolk’ and resolves to declare a Climate Emergency.

Councillor Jamie Osborn said:

“Declaring a Climate Emergency is the first step to combatting the dangerous effects of climate change. We need to acknowledge and understand the threats we face before we can start to improve our chances of a secure future. The second step is measuring our carbon output, and the third step is lowering it. Our motion asks for each of these actions to take place in the near future.”

Councillor Ben Price added:

“I’ve recently seen for myself the effects of climate change on the eroding North Norfolk coast. In Norfolk, perhaps more than elsewhere, we can see that the changes we face really are an emergency. It’s time to act on science and the evidence in front of our faces. We need to make a huge effort to meet – or beat – the legal targets for reducing carbon emissions. There’s no time to waste.”

The new Green group at County Hall will be led by Councillor Ben Price with Councillor Jamie Osborn as Deputy Leader. Councillor Price said:

“We’re delighted to have a Green voice back at County Hall and are focussed on doing what we can to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, working on practical local issues in the face of this global challenge.”

Notes:

The motion as proposed by Green Party councillors is:

i) This Council recognises the dangerous and accelerating effects of climate change and ecological destruction for Norfolk.

ii) Council resolves to declare a Climate Emergency as other councils and the UK Parliament have done.

iii) Council recognises that climate change in Norfolk is inextricably tied with social and economic inequalities which mean that climate change will disproportionately affect certain groups.

iv) Council recognises the evidence from scientists that, in order to meet legally-binding climate change targets, Norfolk must reduce its CO2 emissions by a minimum of 13.5% year on year.

v) Council resolves to ask Cabinet to adopt a carbon budget tool to allow Norfolk to track its emissions profile to 2030 and facilitate the adoption of measures by the council, the council’s partners, Government, and the public to help meet evidence-based carbon-reduction targets.