Councillor S Dunn to Move
Full Council notes:
1. It is clear that climate change is not only a reality but that our communities are becoming more and more aware of the changing weather and issues of flooding and extreme heat that was predicted would occur over 20 years ago;
2. Global temperatures have already increased by 1 degree Celsius from pre-industrial levels, and atmospheric CO2 levels are above 400 parts per million (ppm). This far exceeds the 350 ppm deemed to be a safe level for humanity;
3. In order to reduce the chance of runaway Global Warming and limit the effects of Climate Breakdown, it is imperative that we reduce our CO2eq (carbon equivalent) emissions from their current 6.5 tonnes per person per year to less than 2 tonnes as soon as possible;
4. The world is on track to overshoot the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C limit before 2050. The IPCC’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C, published in October 2018, describes the enormous harm that a 2°C rise is likely to cause compared to a 1.5°C rise, and told us 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;
5. We have seen over the past few months, leaders from all around the world coming together to slow down these impacts and it’s important at a local level that as a county council we also show some leadership in making a change. It’s not too late if we all do what we can;
6. Individuals and local businesses cannot be expected to make this reduction on their own. Society needs to change its laws, taxation, infrastructure, etc., to make low carbon living easier and the new norm;
7. Carbon emissions result from both production and consumption and we need to ensure we tackle both these elements going forward;
8. Durham County Council has already shown foresight and leadership when it comes to addressing the issue of Climate Breakdown, having adopted Durham Wide targets of reducing carbon emissions by 40% by 2020 (based on 1990 levels). We have, compared to many authorities, excelled already achieving what was considered to be a stretch target;
9. All governments (national, regional and local) have a duty to limit the negative impacts of Climate Breakdown, and local governments that recognise this should not wait for their national governments to change their policies;
10.The UK’s entire society and entire economy need to be refocused to meet the looming challenge of ecological breakdown using the full power of the state to decarbonise the economy and create hundreds of thousands of green jobs. We have to tackle climate change in a really radical way, the evidence is crystal clear and at the same time maximise the opportunities that clean growth, developing innovation and creating strong partnership with the private sector can achieve
11.Unfortunately, despite reassurance from our Prime Minister, austerity is still very much with us and probably will be for some time, we have some significant pressures as an authority supporting our elderly and an ever increasing number of children accessing our looked after services and we need to continue to develop our economy. However we must also take responsibility for our environment and ensure that we leave Durham in a better place for our children than the one we inherited. We need to get the balance right and ensure that we put something in place which is deliverable but that makes significant progress towards making County Durham Carbon Neutral as quickly as possible and hopefully that takes our communities and our businesses along with us;
12.Councils around the world are responding by declaring a ‘Climate Emergency’ and committing resources to address this emergency.
Full Council agrees to:
1. Declare a ‘Climate Emergency’;
2. Immediately adopt a new Durham County Council target of 60% by 2030 making significant progress towards making Durham County Council and County Durham carbon neutral taking into account both production and consumption emissions;
3. Investigate what further actions are necessary to make County Durham Carbon Neutral by 2050 and pledge to achieve this;
4. Call on Westminster to provide the powers and resources to make the 2030 and 2050 targets possible;
5. Work with other agencies and bodies (both within the UK and internationally) to determine and implement best practice methods to limit Global Warming to less than 1.5°C;
6. Continue to work with partners across the county and region to identify opportunities for innovation, develop clean industries and a green economy and ensuring we have the right infrastructure for our communities to deliver on these new targets through all relevant strategies and plans;
7. Report to Full Council within six months with the actions the Council will need to take to achieve the new 2030 target and supply an initial report on what actions would be required to achieve a carbon neutral County Durham by 2050.
Councillor R Bell to Move
Council calls upon Cabinet to suspend activity on planning for and building the new HQ at The Sands, Durham and, while affirming the need to build a new HQ, to:
· Immediately make public the advice and reasoning which caused it to choose the Sands and dismiss other sites, including the Part B reports from the Cabinet meetings of 13 July 2016 and 17 January 2018, and the background papers behind those reports.
· To complete within one month a public consultation on building a new HQ at the Sands and Aykley Heads.
· To re-evaluate within two months the options of building a new HQ at the Sands and Aykley Heads.
Minutes:
In accordance with a Notice of Motion it was Moved by Councillor Dunn and seconded by Councillor Adam:
Full Council notes:
1. It is clear that climate change is not only a reality but that our communities are becoming more and more aware of the changing weather and issues of flooding and extreme heat that was predicted would occur over 20 years ago;
2. Global temperatures have already increased by 1 degree Celsius from pre-industrial levels, and atmospheric CO2 levels are above 400 parts per million (ppm). This far exceeds the 350 ppm deemed to be a safe level for humanity;
3. In order to reduce the chance of runaway Global Warming and limit the effects of Climate Breakdown, it is imperative that we reduce our CO2eq (carbon equivalent) emissions from their current 6.5 tonnes per person per year to less than 2 tonnes as soon as possible;
4. The world is on track to overshoot the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C limit before 2050. The IPCC’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C, published in October 2018, describes the enormous harm that a 2°C rise is likely to cause compared to a 1.5°C rise, and told us 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;
5. We have seen over the past few months, leaders from all around the world coming together to slow down these impacts and it’s important at a local level that as a county council we also show some leadership in making a change. It’s not too late if we all do what we can;
6. Individuals and local businesses cannot be expected to make this reduction on their own. Society needs to change its laws, taxation, infrastructure, etc., to make low carbon living easier and the new norm;
7. Carbon emissions result from both production and consumption and we need to ensure we tackle both these elements going forward;
8. Durham County Council has already shown foresight and leadership when it comes to addressing the issue of Climate Breakdown, having adopted Durham Wide targets of reducing carbon emissions by 40% by 2020 (based on 1990 levels). We have, compared to many authorities, excelled already achieving what was considered to be a stretch target;
9. All governments (national, regional and local) have a duty to limit the negative impacts of Climate Breakdown, and local governments that recognise this should not wait for their national governments to change their policies;
10. The UK’s entire society and entire economy need to be refocused to meet the looming challenge of ecological breakdown using the full power of the state to decarbonise the economy and create hundreds of thousands of green jobs. We have to tackle climate change in a really radical way, the evidence is crystal clear and at the same time maximise the opportunities that clean growth, developing innovation and creating strong partnership with the private sector can achieve
11. Unfortunately, despite reassurance from our Prime Minister, austerity is still very much with us and probably will be for some time, we have some significant pressures as an authority supporting our elderly and an ever increasing number of children accessing our looked after services and we need to continue to develop our economy. However we must also take responsibility for our environment and ensure that we leave Durham in a better place for our children than the one we inherited. We need to get the balance right and ensure that we put something in place which is deliverable but that makes significant progress towards making County Durham Carbon Neutral as quickly as possible and hopefully that takes our communities and our businesses along with us;
12. Councils around the world are responding by declaring a ‘Climate Emergency’ and committing resources to address this emergency.
Full Council agrees to:
1. Declare a ‘Climate Emergency’;
2. Immediately adopt a new Durham County Council target of 60% by 2030 making significant progress towards making Durham County Council and County Durham carbon neutral taking into account both production and consumption emissions;
3. Investigate what further actions are necessary to make County Durham Carbon Neutral by 2050 and pledge to achieve this;
4. Call on Westminster to provide the powers and resources to make the 2030 and 2050 targets possible;
5. Work with other agencies and bodies (both within the UK and internationally) to determine and implement best practice methods to limit Global Warming to less than 1.5°C;
6. Continue to work with partners across the county and region to identify opportunities for innovation, develop clean industries and a green economy and ensuring we have the right infrastructure for our communities to deliver on these new targets through all relevant strategies and plans;
7. Report to Full Council within six months with the actions the Council will need to take to achieve the new 2030 target and supply an initial report on what actions would be required to achieve a carbon neutral County Durham by 2050.
Councillor M Wilkes Moved the following amendment, Seconded by Councillor L Brown:
Upon a vote being taken the amendment was Lost.
Upon a further vote being taken the Substantive Motion was carried.
In accordance with a Notice of Motion it was Moved by Councillor R Bell and seconded by Councillor Howell.
Council calls upon Cabinet to suspend activity on planning for and building the new HQ at The Sands, Durham and, while affirming the need to build a new HQ, to:
· Immediately make public the advice and reasoning which caused it to choose the Sands and dismiss other sites, including the Part B reports from the Cabinet meetings of 13 July 2016 and 17 January 2018, and the background papers behind those reports.
· To complete within one month a public consultation on building a new HQ at the Sands and Aykley Heads.
· To re-evaluate within two months the options of building a new HQ at the Sands and Aykley Heads.
In accordance with Standing Order 14.4 Councillor Ormerod sought a named vote on the Motion. The requirements were met.
For
Councillors A Bainbridge, B Bainbridge, R Bell, D Brown, L Brown, G Darkes, S Durham, D Freeman, K Hawley, A Hopgood, P Howell, P Jopling, K Liddell, J Makepeace, C Martin, E Mavin, S McDonnell, J Nicholson, R Ormerod, G Richardson, E Scott, M Simmons, A Simpson, W Stelling, D Stoker, O Temple, K Thompson and M Wilkes
Against
Councillors E Adam, J Allen, J Atkinson, P Atkinson, D Bell, E Bell, J Bell, H Bennett, G Bleasdale, P Brookes, J Brown, J Chaplow, J Clare, J Clark, J Considine, K Corrigan, R Crute, S Dunn, O Gunn, C Hampson, S Henig, K Hopper, L Hovvels, E Huntington, S Iveson, I Jewell, O Johnson, B Kellett, L Kennedy, A Laing, J Lethbridge, R Manchester, C Marshall, L Marshall, M McKeon, O Milburn, S Morrison, A Napier, A Patterson, L Pounder, S Quinn, J Robinson, K Shaw, H Smith, A Surtees, P Taylor, J Turnbull, A Watson, C Wilson, M Wilson, S Wilson and R Yorke
Abstain
Councillors J Carr and L Maddison
The Motion was Lost.