Liverpool City Council (17th July 2019) Climate Change Emergency Part 5

Liverpool City Council (17th July 2019) Climate Change Emergency Part 5

Council Chamber, Liverpool Town Hall, High Street, L2 3SW

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PART ONE

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2. Declaring a Climate Change Emergency by Mayor Joe Anderson, OBE, Councillor Richard Kemp CBE, Councillor Tom Crone and Councillor Steve Radford 0:01

That Council notes:

· that the impacts of climate breakdown are already causing serious damage around the world.

· that the ‘Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C’, published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in October 2018, (a) describes the enormous harm that a 2°C average rise in global temperatures is likely to cause compared with a 1.5°C rise, and (b) confirms that limiting Global Warming to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society and the private sector.

· that all governments (national, regional and local) have a duty to act, and Liverpool Council recognises that we should not wait for national government to change its priorities or policies.

· that strong policies to cut emissions also have associated health, wellbeing, equality and economic benefits;

· Our young people have the most to lose. For there to be intergenerational justice, it is vital that we take the radical action needed to ensure that we leave the planet in a better condition than we received it.

· The growing recognition of the urgent need for action on climate Change, including the government’s statements of support for a Climate Change Emergency. Council congratulates all national political leaders for taking this urgent agenda forward.

· Cities play a critical role in delivering a Zero-Carbon future. City leaders can and need to make far-reaching and systemic changes to energy, transport, housing, air quality, biodiversity policy and investment strategy.

Council therefore declares a ‘Climate Emergency’

Action is required to eliminate the impact on climate change of our behaviours, actions and policies. Liverpool City Council will work to eliminate the impact on Climate Change by its own estate and activities to zero carbon by 2030. The City will work with individuals and partners across the city to support them to reach a net zero carbon position by 2030.



Council welcomes initiatives already undertaken by Liverpool to impact on its environmental sustainability, including delivering in an expected 42% reduction in the city’s carbon production by 2020. (figures obtained from Council Briefing)

Council also pays tribute to the many efforts of individuals, civic society, companies and public sector organisations who have made changes and adopted new ways of living, working and leisure in order to move towards a zero carbon lifestyle. However, it recognises that governmental action at all levels will not meet the levels of climate change mitigation required without a cultural change in the way that individuals and businesses think about the effects of their own actions.

Council believes the UK Government and Liverpool City Region need to greatly increase efforts to meet the challenge of mitigating climate breakdown.

Council believes that the following areas are a priority for the city and the work plan of the Cabinet Member and Select Committee:

Transport and Air Quality

Transport represents almost a quarter of Europe's greenhouse gas emissions and is the main cause of air pollution in cities. It is also the fastest growing contributor to climate emissions making it vital to transform our cities, ...

(Note – The Terms of Reference and composition for the proposed Select Committee and framework for the Council Meeting will be circulated to Members due in course).

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