Hackney Council notes:
· That in June 2019, Hackney Council declared a climate emergency and committed to become a net zero carbon borough by 2040 and is developing a climate action plan to achieve this.
Hackney Council also notes:
· The work of Hackney Council to reduce carbon emissions, reverse biodiversity decline and tackle toxic air pollution
· That in 2022, Hackney has again been a Healthy Streets Scorecard leader with 70% of suitable streets covered by a Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN), the top score, and School Street schemes at 45% of all schools covered, the highest total number
· That there is a Bill before Parliament—the Climate and Ecology Bill according to which the Government must develop an emergency strategy to limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees celsius above pre-industrial levels
· That less than 5% of Hackney’s carbon emissions are from the Council’s corporate operations and buildings
· That the Council cannot tackle the climate emergency alone and the Conservative Government needs to step up with a plan to reach net-zero carbon emissions much sooner than the current target of 2050
· The lack of ambition shown by the Conservative Government since 2010 in tackling the climate emergency
· That many other London councils have joined the UK100 network of highly ambitious local government leaders and it is the Hackney Council's intention to bring forward its net zero target to 2030 so it can join the UK100 network.
Hackney Council further notes:
· The Climate and Ecology Bill requires that the UK to play 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; and
o ensures that all the UK’s consumption emissions are accounted for;
o protects and restores biodiverse habitats along overseas supply chains;
o restores and regenerates the UK’s depleted soils, wildlife habitats and species populations to healthy and robust states, maximising their capacity to absorb CO2 and their resistance to climate heating and flooding;
o sets up an independent Citizens’ Assembly, representative of the UK’s population, to engage with Parliament and Government on these issues
Therefore, Hackney Council resolves to:
· Support the Climate and Ecology Bill;
· Write to Diane Abbott MP and Meg Hillier MP letting them know that this motion has been passed — urging Meg Hillier MP to sign up to support the Bill, and thanking Diane Abbott MP for already doing so; and
· Write to Zero Hour, the organisers of the cross-party campaign for the Bill, expressing the Council’s support.
Further, Hackney Council pledges to:
· Continue to assess our largest impacts on the climate and ecology, prioritise where action needs to be taken and measure and monitor progress towards clear targets
· Reduce our emissions at source and limit the use of carbon offsets as part of the global effort to avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis;
· Work with residents and our local business, voluntary, community & faith organisations, groups and public sector bodies to cut the emissions generated by non-Council sources in the borough, promoting and incentivising efforts to reduce their carbon footprint
· Engage residents with a genuine climate assembly, made up of a representative group with real power to steer the council’s climate environmental work and with areas of devolved decision making responsibility.
· Write to the Secretary of State for Education to ask for their support for a Nature Premium to guarantee regular time in nature for all children and young people, with additional funding and support to level up those with the least access to nature as advocated for by the Institute for Outdoor Learning.
Proposer: Cllr. Alastair Binnie-Lubbock
Seconder: Cllr. Zoë Garbett
Decision:
RESOLVED:
To note that:
That in June 2019, Hackney Council declared a climate emergency and committed to become a net zero carbon borough by 2040 and is developing a climate action plan to achieve this.
To also note that:
· The work of Hackney Council to reduce carbon emissions, reverse biodiversity decline and tackle toxic air pollution, such as switching its energy supply to 100% renewable sources, establishing Hackney Light and Power, a Community Energy Fund, supporting walking cycling and public transport, increasing the recycling rate in the borough by 11%, and planting 5,000 new street trees.
· That in 2022, Hackney has again been a Healthy Streets Scorecard leader with 70% of suitable streets covered by a Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN), the top score, and School Street schemes at 45% of all schools covered, the highest total number
· That there is a Bill before Parliament - the Climate and Ecology Bill - according to which the Government must develop an emergency strategy to limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees celsius above pre-industrial levels
· That less than 5% of Hackney’s carbon emissions are from the Council’s corporate operations and buildings
· That the Council cannot tackle the climate emergency alone and the Conservative Government needs to step up with a plan to reach net-zero carbon emissions much sooner than the current target of 2050
· The lack of ambition shown by the Conservative Government since 2010 in tackling the climate emergency
· That many other London councils have joined the UK100 network of highly ambitious local government leaders and it is the Hackney Council's intention to bring forward its net zero target to 2030 so it can join the UK100 network.
To further note that:
The Climate and Ecology Bill requires that the UK to play 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; and
o ensures that all the UK’s consumption emissions are accounted for;
o protects and restores biodiverse habitats along overseas supply chains;
o restores and regenerates the UK’s depleted soils, wildlife habitats and species populations to healthy and robust states, maximising their capacity to absorb CO2 and their resistance to climate heating and flooding;
o sets up an independent Citizens’ Assembly, representative of the UK’s population, to engage with Parliament and Government on these issues
To:
· Support the Climate and Ecology Bill;
· Write to Diane Abbott MP and Meg Hillier MP letting them know that this motion has been passed
· Write to Zero Hour, the organisers of the cross-party campaign for the Bill, expressing the Council’s support.
Proposer: Cllr. Gilbert Smyth
Seconder: Cllr. Richard Lufkin