A climate and ecological emergency could be declared in Eden this week if district councillors vote in favour at the council’s public meeting on Thursday 11 July says our new C24 contributor Jaki Bell.
Eden residents are being encouraged show their support for this action by the council, with several opportunities ahead of the meeting.
Local environmental group Penrith Action for Community Transition (PACT) hosted a climate get-together in the town centre on Saturday morning, (6 July), and the public were encouraged to make their own climate change signs and bring them along to display around the town.
John Bodger, chair of PACT, who will present the petition at the council meeting, on behalf of the district’s residents said: “Hundreds of people from across Eden have signed a petition calling for the council to declare a climate emergency and take action to cut carbon emissions in our district, as part of the urgent response needed to tackle the climate and ecological crisis we’re now facing”.
“We hope that lots of people will come and join us in Penrith on Saturday and show that we want our district to be part of the solution to the climate crisis. More than one hundred councils around the UK have now declared climate emergencies, including Penrith Town Council and Glassonby Parish Council. The petition shows that Eden residents want our district to be next to step up.”
At the council’s meeting next Thursday, councillors will discuss the public petition and also debate a climate and ecological emergency motion put forward by the new leader of the council, Councillor Virginia Taylor.
John urged Eden residents to email their councillor and call on them to vote in favour of the motion. Councillors’ contact details are available on the council website.
“The meeting is open to the public and we’d encourage people to come along and hear the discussion in the council chamber and show their support for the motion,” John said. “Everyone is welcome to join us outside the town hall at 6.15pm, before the meeting, and bring along a homemade climate change sign.”
If the motion is passed, the council would declare a climate and ecological emergency and aim to make Eden District carbon neutral by 2030. The council would also take ecological impacts into account in all its decisions and actions, and would refuse initiatives that would degrade the natural environment and biodiversity.
“Importantly, the motion also says that the council would work with Eden residents to shape and deliver actions to tackle the climate and ecological emergencies,” John said. “This is a unique moment of opportunity for all of us who want to protect our planet for the future. We congratulate Councillor Taylor for bringing this motion to the council and we hope that our representatives from all parties will support it, because the climate crisis affects us all and we must all work together to resolve this greatest challenge of our time.”
The full motion is available at www.penrithact.org.uk/climate-emergency. PACT can be contacted at info@penrithact.org.uk.
