Waverley Borough Council supports The Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill

Waverley Borough Council has passed a motion to support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill that was presented to Parliament by Green MP Caroline Lucas last year.

The Bill calls on the government to implement "a clear framework, based on scientific reality, to deliver the UK's commitments to the 2015 UN Paris Climate Agreement and to tighten up current UK legislation." It has the backing of MPs from a number of opposition parties, and calls for an emergency Citizens' Assembly to aid the government in formulating a new Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy.

The motion to back the Bill and empowering the Leader of the council to write to local MPs and other stakeholders highlighting the council's backing was passed at a meeting of the full council last Tuesday.

The council has pledged to take into account the aims and goals of the CEE Bill when setting its own strategies, policies, and targets.

Councillor Steve Williams, Waverley Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability, said: "As a council that has declared a climate emergency, and is now working hard to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality by 2030, it is only consistent that we publicly support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill, a private members' bill sponsored by a cross-party alliance of 98 MPs.

"The bill has the potential to become the most significant move forward since the 2008 Climate Change Act. We are facing the potentially devastating impact of climate change and we are asking the two members of parliament representing the borough of Waverley in Parliament, Jeremy Hunt, MP for South West Surrey, and Angela Richardson, MP for Guildford, to support this bill.

"Following our own climate emergency survey, we know that our communities agree that this is a critical issue and Waverley Borough Council itself has already set to work on cutting back its carbon emissions and supporting the move towards a net-zero carbon borough by 2030. It has allocated £300,000 to launch our action on the climate emergency, and is now looking at building zero-carbon homes, making Waverley buildings more energy efficient, supporting community energy hubs, promoting walking and cycling and sustainable transport and harnessing solar energy in strategic locations."