Agenda item

Councillor Kelly moved the following motion:

“Humans have already caused irreversible climate change, the impacts of which are being felt in the UK and around the world. Global temperatures have increased by 1^o Celsius from pre-industrial levels. Atmospheric CO₂ levels are above 400 parts per million (ppm) and continue to rise. This far exceeds the 350 ppm deemed to be a safe level for humanity.

Without more significant and sustained action, the world is set to exceed the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C limit between 2030 and 2040. Therefore, the current UK target of net zero by 2050 is not satisfactory. It is too little too late.

The increase in harm caused by a rise of 2°C rather than 1.5°C is significant. This is described by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C published in October 2018. According to the IPCC, limiting heating to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society, the private sector and local communities. The costs of failing to address this crisis will far outstrip the investments required to prevent it. Investing now will bring many benefits in the form of good jobs, breathable cities and thriving communities.

Council notes that:

(i)            this Council declared a climate emergency on 23 May 2019;

(ii)           in the last 10 years, this council has reduced its own emissions by 50%,   created low carbon heat and power via the district heating networks installed          2MW of solar panels across 35 buildings and schools and seen major new           investment in boilers, windows and solid wall insulation to improve energy          efficiency;

(iii)          this Council is committed to make its activities carbon neutral by 2030 and           achieve 100% clean energy across all our functions by 2030; and

(iv)          there is a Bill before Parliament - the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill        (published as the “Climate and Ecology Bill”) - according to which the          Government must develop an emergency strategy that requires that the UK   plays its fair and proper role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions            consistent with limiting global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees C above         pre-industrial temperatures.

Council therefore resolves to:

(i)            welcome the publication of the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill as an important contribution to the campaign to reduce carbon emissions and restore biodiversity, although we note the Conservative government is unlikely to allow it to pass into legislation;

(ii)           increase the development of solar energy and heat from ground and mine water heat pumps; expand the use of digital technology to reduce the need for staff to travel and to minimise paper use; increase in the use of electric and other low-carbon vehicles within the Council's fleet; and

(iii)          promote understanding of Climate Emergency issues with local residents, and work with groups like the Gateshead Community Climate Alliance and North East England Climate Coalition to pursue radical action in support of this common agenda.”

Councillor J Wallace moved the following amendment:

“At the end add:

iv)        calls on the Gateshead Energy Company to bring forward a plan to end the

use of fossil fuel so that there is a switch to renewable fuel sources before

2025.”

On the amendment being put, it was defeated.

The original motion was put as the substantive motion and duly carried.

COUNCIL RESOLVED          -

Humans have already caused irreversible climate change, the impacts of which are being felt in the UK and around the world. Global temperatures have increased by 1° Celsius from pre-industrial levels. Atmospheric CO₂ levels are above 400 parts per million (ppm) and continue to rise. This far exceeds the 350 ppm deemed to be a safe level for humanity.

Without more significant and sustained action, the world is set to exceed the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C limit between 2030 and 2040. Therefore, the current UK target of net zero by 2050 is not satisfactory. It is too little too late.

The increase in harm caused by a rise of 2°C rather than 1.5°C is significant. This is described by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C published in October 2018. According to the IPCC, limiting heating to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society, the private sector and local communities. The costs of failing to address this crisis will far outstrip the investments required to prevent it. Investing now will bring many benefits in the form of good jobs, breathable cities and thriving communities.

Council notes that:

(i)         this Council declared a climate emergency on 23 May 2019

(ii)        in the last 10 years, this council has reduced its own emissions by 50%,

created low carbon heat and power via the district heating networks, installed 2MW of solar panels across 35 buildings and schools and seen major new investment in boilers, windows and solid wall insulation to improve energy efficiency;

(iii)       this Council is committed to make its activities carbon neutral by 2030 and achieve 100% clean energy across all our functions by 2030; and

(iv)       there is a Bill before Parliament – the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill (published as the “Climate and Ecology Bill”) – according to which the Government must develop an emergency strategy that requires that the UK plays its fair and proper role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions consistent with limiting global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial temperatures.

Council therefore resolves to:

(i)         welcome the publication of the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill as an important contribution to the campaign to reduce carbon emissions and restore biodiversity, although we note the Conservative government is unlikely to allow it to pass into legislation;

(ii)        increase the development of solar energy and heat from ground and

mine water heat pumps; expand the use of digital technology to reduce the need for staff to travel and to minimise paper use; increase in the use of electric and other low-carbon vehicles within the Council's fleet; and

(iii)       promote understanding of Climate Emergency issues with local

residents, and work with groups like the Gateshead Community Climate Alliance and North East England Climate Coalition to pursue radical action in support of this common agenda.