County Councils and local Councils (District & Borough)
- set and enforce policy
- communicate and set an example on climate change mitigation actions.
How well are they doing this? Will they meet their carbon-zero targets?
We want Councils to deliver a meaningful CLIMATE ACTION PLAN as a MINIMUM to:
- Set annual targets for the next 10 years. Including achieving net zero carbon by 2030 for their operations and premises.
- Switch their energy supplier to a genuinely green energy supplier (one that does not rely upon buying wholesale green electricity certificates to badge their energy as green). One that has a fuel energy mix of 100% green electricity. See: https://electricityinfo.org/fuel-mix-of-uk-domestic-electricity-suppliers/
- Incorporate climate change mitigation, biodiversity protection and environmental protection in EVERY Council decision that is made
- Only procure from suppliers, contractors and partners who equally make a commitment to achieve net zero carbon by 2030
- Use their planning policy, planning permissions and building control powers to require any new or refurbished developments/ properties to be built to high levels of sustainability, insulation, waste heat recovery and green energy supply. Requiring just 10% renewable energy from outdated core planning strategies and a basic level of building regulation standards is simply not good enough.
- Move Council investments and pension funds away from investing in fossil fuel, tobacco, and gambling companies, into businesses that are good for our futures.
Please write to your Council and/or speak with your Councillor about making these things happen.