Berkhamsted Town Council adopts Liberal Democrat Group's Climate Change Emergency Motion

Well done, Berkhamsted Town Council!

On 10th June, 2019, Cllr Wendy Conian proposed and Cllr Rick Freedman seconded the following Motion on the Climate Change Emergency to Berkhamsted Town Council - which is now under Liberal Democrat control.

This Council:

a) Declares a Climate Emergency with the aspiration to achieve carbon neutrality in our community by 2030.

b) Will undertake practical measures within our powers to reduce the impact of Council's activities on the environment.

c) Will work with all sectors of our community to publicise this declaration and develop initiatives and practical measures that will help our community towards achieving carbon neutrality.

d) Calls upon the Borough and Hertfordshire County Council systematically to review their services, planning regulations and Local Plans and implement measures to reduce their impact on the environment and climate breakdown.

e) Calls upon the Government to provide regulations and resources that will enable communities to meet the goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.

In introducing the motion Cllr Conian said,

"The growing evidence of the serious and adverse impact of climate change has recently been highlighted in the news. These changes are resulting in climate breakdown and the consequant destruction of the planet's eco systems."

Referring to the work of the Government Committee on climate change, she advised that

"everyone needs to act, not just the Government".

She hoped that

"by agreeing the motion set out below, the Town Council will be able to contribute to the aspiration of achieving carbon neutrality in the town by 2030 by setting targets to which families and individuals would also be able to commit. The Town Council will lead by example in the community and also exert pressure upwards to other organisations, both regional and national."

She concluded,

"In terms of the impact on climate change, any actions that the Town Council could initiate might seem small. However, the act of demonstrating leadership and commitment was significant."

She thanked members of the public for their support and hoped that measures to mitigate the climate emergency would be front and foremost of all future decisions made by the Town Council and she urged members to adopt the motion.

It was passed with all councillors present bar one supporting it (Cllr Jones abstained).

There was good press coverage too!

Congratulations to both Wendy and Rick and to the Lib Dem Group on BCT for getting this important motion tabled and passed at such short notice.