The North Tyneside Borough Green Party notes with interest the Chronicle article of 30 August 2019 “Revealed: How North Tyneside Council is fighting climate change”.
As previously stated, we acknowledge the good work achieved by the Council to date. We recognise that the Council is already ahead of the targets set three years ago.
However, the Council’s declaration of a ‘Climate Emergency’ is an embarrassment to our region. The ‘Emergency’ sets a target for ‘Carbon Neutral’ by 2050. This projects a slow down in the Borough’s current carbon reduction, which would reach carbon neutral by 2043.
Although the Central Government has set 2050 as the National Target, it should be noted that every other Council in our region has set the local target at 2030.
There is good reason for the adoption of the 2030 target.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2018 Report states that urgent action is required or we face a catastrophic impact on health, livelihoods and security by 2030.
The climate science shows that, unless we act now, a child born today will not reach their twenties by the time the arctic soils thaw.
Sir David Attenborough has stated that “what we do in the next ten years will profoundly impact the next few thousand”.
In this context, it is right to challenge North Tyneside Council – and question why some Councillors are satisfied to slow the good work to date and fall behind our neighbours.
We therefore urge the Council to reassess the 2050 target – and take a lead in working with other Councils in our region (and beyond) to take the necessary action to reach carbon neutral by 2030.
The 2030 target should be the stated aim of the Council. The current target is unambitious and lowers expectations.
As Mr Keenlyside states, a holistic approach is required – which necessitates change from all parts of our society. It is our firm belief that the Council should be leading on this change.