Agenda item

It is recommended that the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee:

A. Recommend the Cabinet Member(s) for Waste and Environment support the Climate and Ecology bill and write to Gareth Davies MP to indicate this support,

B. Recommend to full Council to support the Climate and Ecology bill and write to all MPs who have constituencies within the District of South Kesteven.

or

C. Recommend not to support the Climate and Ecology bill.

The Vice-Chairman read a statement out on behalf of Councillor Vanessa Smith: 

I would very much like to thank this committee for considering this motion as was put to Full Council last month, and for doing so in such a timely fashion.  I think it is important that this Council supports the Climate and Ecology Bill.  As you may recall this Bill was originally introduced into Parliament by Caroline Lucas in 2020. 
 Whilst it has currently lapsed, it is being reintroduced in the new year without any change in the most recent wording so will retain previous support.  As explained, this is a cross party Bill which has received thesupport of 132 MPs from the Labour, Green, Liberal Democratic and Conservative Parties. It has also received the support of 312 Councils and numerous large non-government organisations. 

The Bill seeks to address climate change by limiting the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees, as per the Paris Agreement which the UK signed up to in 2015.  It also seeks to prioritise nature and reverse its decline. 

The UK is currently working towards achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.  This target was set in 2019 to try to limit the rise in temperature. The target of 1.5 degrees is important because it is at this temperature rise that there is potentially an irreversible effect on climate change and catastrophic climate changes will be seen.  But the science tells us that even if we meet net zero by 2050 there is still an 

approximately 50:50 chance that temperature rise will exceed 1.5 degrees. And not only might this net zero target be inadequate but that the government’s own scientific advisors on climate change (the Climate Change Committee) have published a report this year stating that we areno longer on track to meet this target. This is why the Climate and Ecology Bill is calling on the government to do more.  

This Bill has been written by numerous climatescientist and unlike current targets it requires the UK to take account of its entire carbon footprint, including those from imports and overseas; at the moment this is being ignored but currently accounts for about 40% of this country’s carbon footprint.  This Bill would also take greater account of other greenhouse gases, not just carbon dioxide.  With regard to nature, protecting this is intertwined with limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.  In order to keep temperatures under 1.5 degrees we must protect peatlands, 
woodlands, wetlands, rivers and soils.  The Environment Act of 2021 called for a halt to the decline in the abundant species by 2030.   But as the UK is one of the most nature deplete countries in the world scientists are calling for more ambitious  targets.  The Bills seeks to not just halt but reverse the decline in nature. 

This Council has already acknowledged the problem of Climate Change by declaring a Climate Emergency in 2019.  Our District can develop its own Climate Strategy but with the best will in the world it willnot have sufficient impact on 
isolation.  A plan for Climate Action is required nationally and internationally. The UK has shown itself to be world leading in terms of setting direction for Climate Action.  And the science is now showing us that more needs to be done.  If these targets are not met our District could face serious consequences in terms of flooding with loss of homes and arable land, there will be costs to businesses and the economy.  We must call on central government to do everything in their power to meet the Climate Change targets that they have already agreed.  In my view this is not controversial.  It already has parliamentary cross-party support.  It has been backed by numerous county councils and district councils already. I would like 
South Kesteven District Council to follow suit. 

Members raised the following points during discussion: 

•      The Bill received support from Members and was considered vital by some. 

•      There were a lot of positive steps within the Environmental Act 2021 but perhaps there was more to be done, such as a reverse in nature decline?  

It was proposed, seconded, and AGREED that the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommended to Full Council that they support the climate and ecology Bill and write to all MPs who have constituencies within the district of South Kesteven.