Agenda

To consider questions from members of the public received under Procedure Rule 10

MOTION 1

Motion to DECLARE A CLIMATE EMERGENCY

BwDBC notes:

1.    Humans have already caused irreversible climate change, the impacts of which are being felt around the world. Global temperatures have already increased by 1^oC from pre-industrial levels. Atmospheric CO₂ levels are above 400 parts per million (ppm). The latest report from the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in October 2018 gave us 12 years to implement changes to keep global warming to a maximum of 1.5°C in order to avoid widespread drought, food scarcity, heat related deaths and loss of biodiversity including insects and vital food crop pollinators.

2.    At present the world is on track to overshoot the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C limit before 2050. In order to reduce the chance of runaway global warming and limit the effects of climate breakdown, it is imperative that we as a species reduce our CO₂e (carbon equivalent) emissions from their current 6.5 tonnes per person per year to less than 2 tonnes as soon as possible.

3.    Individuals cannot be expected to make this reduction on their own. Society needs to change its laws, taxation, and infrastructure to make low carbon living easier and the new norm.

4.    Carbon emissions result from both production and consumption.

5.    Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council has already made some positive progress, but this is not enough. More can and must be done. The Independent Panel on Climate Change in its Oct. 2018 report was very clear that action from all parts of society is necessary and local government has a responsibility to lead the way.

6.    Town and city councils around the world are responding by declaring a ‘Climate Emergency’ and taking action to address this emergency.

BwDBC believes that:

1.    All levels of government (national, regional and local) have a duty to limit the negative impacts of climate breakdown. Local councils that recognise this should not wait for their national governments to change their policies.

2.    Towns and cities are uniquely placed to lead the world in reducing carbon emissions, as they are in many ways easier to decarbonise than rural areas.

3.    The consequences of global temperature rising above 1.5°C are so severe that preventing this from happening must be humanity’s number one priority.

4.    Bold local climate action can deliver economic and social benefits in terms of new green jobs, economic savings and market opportunities, as well as much improved well-being for Blackburnwith Darwen  residents – for example through reducing fuel poverty and energy bills, encouraging healthy, active travel and improving green spaces and access to nature.

BwDBC decides to:

1.    Declare a ‘Climate Emergency’.

2.    Commit to a target of making Blackburnwith Darwen carbon neutral by 2030, taking into account both production and consumption emissions (scope 1, 2 and 3 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol - GHG Protocol establishes comprehensive global standardised frameworks to measure and manage greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from private and public sector operations, value chains and mitigation actions).  ...  view the full agenda text for item 7.

There are no items to be considered under Part 2.