At a meeting of the Borough Council held on Wednesday 9th October, a Climate Emergency was declared with the Council pledging to become carbon neutral by 2030.
The Council acknowledged that a business as usual approach was not an option in the face of the climate and biodiversity emergency, and that carrying on as normal was unsustainable. Therefore, the Council has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2030 across its own estate and operations, including contractors, following a proposal from Cllr Sharon Galliford.
Cllr Edward Hawkins proposed a move for the Borough Council to "support the actions being taken by Surrey County Council in tackling the environmental impact on our daily lives and supports the Government’s aim of eradicating the UK’s contribution to climate change by 2050." This was agreed upon, and the Council will follow the actions of Surrey County Council, after Cllr Mike Goodman declared a climate emergency at county level in July, with a Borough level approach to assess the Council's current activities to involve the inclusion of environmental implications. This will see the reports produced by Council officers including the environmental impact, with relevant factors included such as CO2 emissions generated.
The Council will now look to establish a cross-party Climate Change Working Group to develop the strategy and actions required to meet the targets relevant to the Climate Emergency. This working group will meet regularly and play a key role in the development of the Council’s Action Plan.
The Conservative led Borough Council is committed to tackling climate change and promoting sustainability.
