Why we need to declare a climate and ecological emergency and aim for zero greenhouse emissions by 2030.

On 24 July, Wealden District Council declared a Climate Emergency. They were prompted into action by Green Councillor Patricia Patterson-Vanegas, who submitted a motion to declare a Climate and Ecological Emergency, with a target of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. 

The Council's Conservative-led Cabinet responded with their own proposal, which superseded Patricia's. As you can see on our News page, the Council approved this proposal and agreed a target of 2050.

Patricia's original motion sets out clearly why the declaration is essential, and why we need to aim for 2030, and we've reproduced it in full below.

“If we don’t take action, the collapse of our civilisations and

the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon”
Sir David Attenborough (December, 2018)

 

Motion by Councillor Patterson-Vanegas to declare a Climate and Ecological Emergency

Background:

1)    What does Wealden mean to you? A beautiful, thriving, rural district? Somewhere you return to from your commute? A place of ancient woodlands, streams, meadows, sunken lanes and bluebells, or simply the place you call home?

2)    Whatever Wealden means to you, our local area is at risk from the effects of climate and ecological degradation. Changes in world ecosystems are not only affecting the Amazon rainforest and the coral reefs, they are also changing the unique area in which we live. For example, 47 plant species have been lost from the Ashdown Forest in the last hundred years and once common species such as water voles have declined by over 90% in Sussex, whilst nightingales and turtle doves once found all over the county are now highly endangered, with over 90% decline in their populations since the 1960s[i].

3)    If we want to preserve our home so that our children and future generations can enjoy all that we hold dear locally, then we have to act at a local level now.

4)    Wealden contains Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty that are home to a number of rare and protected species as well as providing an amenity to our community. Once familiar local species such as hedgehogs may become extinct by 2025 or sooner[ii]. Woodlands are also experiencing increases in pests and diseases and are becoming more vulnerable to drought as the climate warms[iii].

5)    Globally temperatures have increased by 1 degree Celsius compared with pre-industrial levels. Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are above 400 parts per million, which is 50 parts per million higher than levels deemed safe for humanity.

6)    If we take action now we have a chance to stop the worst effects of global heating. We could prevent the complete melting of the polar ice caps, which would allow the ice to continue to reflect sunlight back into the atmosphere, rather than the oceans absorbing the sunlight and becoming increasingly hotter. Also, we can reduce the release of methane (a more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide) from melting permafrost.

7)    It may appear that the climate crisis is something that is happening elsewhere, and that we are safe in our leafy, wooded district – yet this is not the case; the climate crisis is already impacting Wealden.

8)    The Met Office[iv]warns of risks to infrastructure, forest mortality and changes to seasonality, as well as increased localised flooding from the climate crisis. It predicts that heavier rainfall due to global heating will cause rivers to burst their banks, that soil will become oversaturated, with water no longer being able to sink away. Flooding is then likely to cause greater damage to infrastructure. It also warns that forest fires, a specific problem within the Ashdown Forest, will increase in frequency and severity due to a combination of drier land and warmer temperatures.

9)    Increasing numbers of local people (as well as in the UK and worldwide) are expressing deep concern about the environment and expect us to do everything in our power to reduce our impact on the climate and support our local ecosystem.

10) Wealden District Council has already shown foresight and leadership when it comes to addressing the issues of climate breakdown and has succeeded in proposing and implementing policies to focus development on sustainable centres; installing renewable energy sources within Council housing; increasing energy efficiency standards within Council and private housing; refurbishing the Council offices to BREEAM ‘excellent’ standards and granting planning consents for 8 solar farms and 1 wind farm in the District. Other measures include promoting waste and litter reduction initiatives and supporting householders at risk of flooding. However, this is not enough if we are to protect the area in which we live.

11) Councils around the world are taking action and our residents will expect us to follow suit and protect them from increased risks of flooding and ensure that the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and our local ancient woodlands and meadows are protected.

12) It is a human right to be protected from a climate catastrophe[v].

13) Our failure to act would be an intergenerational injustice that will impact on our children and their children[vi].

Full Council should be aware that:

14) The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world[vii].

15) The release of greenhouse gases into the environment over the last 200 years, especially in the last 30, has triggered increased heating in the world. Global temperatures have already increased by 1 degree Celsius from pre-industrial levels. Atmospheric CO₂levels are above 400 parts per million (ppm). This far exceeds the 350 ppm deemed to be a safe level for humanity;

16) The loss of habitats and biodiversity threaten human wellbeing and security, particularly the food chain. Insect species (essential to our food production) are being lost at an alarming rate[viii]with a 75% decline in flying insects in the last 30 years[ix].

17) It is therefore imperative that greenhouse gas emissions are reduced from their current 6.5 tonnes (CO₂eq - carbon dioxide equivalent) per person per year to less than 2 tonnes as soon as possible[x].

18) Individuals alone cannot achieve these reductions. Governments, councils and communities all need to take action.

19) The District Council makes important decisions that affect the future for everyone in Wealden, from deciding planning applications to waste collection, recycling and environmental health. It is critical that these decisions are made taking into consideration climate and ecological degradation.

20) Greenhouse gases arise from a variety of sources that include production and consumption in society.

21) Wealden District Council has already shown foresight and leadership in addressing the issue of Climate Breakdown;

22) Unfortunately, our current plans and actions are not enough. The world is on track to overshoot the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C limit before 2050[xi]and we are losing species at a rate of 273 per day[xii]

23) The IPCC’s Special Report on Global Warming published in 2018 predicts the enormous scale of harm that a 2°C rise is likely to cause, as compared to a 1.5°C rise, and made clear that limiting Global Warming to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society, the private sector, indigenous peoples and local communities[xiii];

24) The landmark May 2019 report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)states that Nature is declining at rates unprecedented in human history with 1 million animal and plant species threatened with extinction, many within decades. It also calls for ‘transformative changes’ to restore and protect nature and states that opposition from vested interests needs to be overcome for the public good.[xiv]

25) To date, the UK Parliament and more than 99 UK councils as well as cities and councils around the worldhave declared a climate emergency and are committing resources to address this emergency.[xv]

 

Full Council are asked to agree that:

26)All governments (national, regional and local) have a duty to limit the negative impacts of Climate Breakdown and ecological degradation, and local governments that recognise this should not wait for their national governments to change their policies. It is important for the residents of Wealden District Council and the UK that we all achieve greenhouse gas neutrality and ecological sustainabilityas quickly as possible.

27)The consequences of global temperature rising above 1.5°C are so severe that preventing this from happening must be humanity’s number one priority; and,

28)Bold climate actions can deliver economic benefits in terms of new jobs, economic savings and market opportunities (as well as improved wellbeing for people locally and worldwide).

29)For economic benefits to be achieved within a framework of economic stability, bold climate action needs re-direction of resources as well as evolved economic thinking.

30)Preserving biodiversity is a key priority as 70% decline in flying insects and loss of pollinators puts our food systems at risk.