Following a North Tyneside Borough Green Party campaign last year, North Tyneside Council declared a Climate Emergency in 2019 – and subsequently commissioned The Carbon Trust to produce an Action Plan to reduce carbon emissions.
This Action Plan, available here, aims for zero carbon by 2050.
2050 is not soon enough to keep climate warming below dangerous levels.
The Action Plan falls behind neighbouring councils, such as Newcastle and South Tyneside, who have already committed to zero carbon by 2030 (Newcastle Council’s Action Plan is available here).
As part of our commitment to keep pressure on North Tyneside Council to deliver on Zero Carbon promises – and our commitment to work with local residents across our Borough – we organised an online meeting to explore the North Tyneside Climate Emergency Action Plan.
This meeting allowed us to provide an introduction to the wider themes of the Climate Emergency – and we presented a summary of the key points from the Action Plan.
The meeting participants were then invited to join breakout group discussions of the specifics of the Action Plan. These discussions were engaging – with participants sharing their views on the Action Plan and the key aspects of the Plan that they want North Tyneside Council to focus on.
Although the positive ideas and steps taken so far by North Tyneside Council were recognised, participants wanted clarity about the plan the council is adopting – and why it is not happening more quickly.
In his conclusion to the online meeting, local Green Party Campaigner Alan Steele said: “Almost 18 months after declaring a climate emergency, we have lots of great ideas and possibilities, but no agreed route map to zero carbon, and a target date two decades behind neighbouring councils. We are calling for greater clarity, communication and commitment to the next steps, to put the ‘urgency’ back into the ‘emergency’ which our young people have campaigned and marched for.”
As our immediate action on this, we have written to North Tyneside Council to ask that they “commit to implementing the Action Plan, as recommended by the Carbon Trust, in full“.
We are thankful to those who contributed to the online meeting – and we look forward to welcoming you at our next event.
Key Web Links
There were several requests to share some of the links discussed.
In relation to the Council’s action plan:
North Tyneside Council – Cabinet Minutes – 19 October 2020 :
https://democracy.northtyneside.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=2011
North Tyneside Council – Cabinet Report – 19 October 2020 :
https://democracy.northtyneside.gov.uk/documents/s4551/Climate Emergency Update.pdf
The Carbon Trust North Tyneside Climate Emergency Action Plan :
https://democracy.northtyneside.gov.uk/documents/s4552/Climate Emergency Update – North Tyneside Climate Emergency Action Plan-Appendix.pdf
North Tyneside Council – Cabinet Report – October 2019 :
https://democracy.northtyneside.gov.uk/documents/s1484/Climate Emergency Update.pdf
North Tyneside Council – Climate Emergency Declaration – July 2019 :
https://my.northtyneside.gov.uk/sites/default/files/meeting/related-documents/6.%202019-07-25%20Climate%20Emergency%20Declaration%20version%202%201007%20%282%29%20post%20PH%20amend.pdf
In relation to Housing in the context of the Climate Emergency:
Retrofitting UK Housing :
https://www.politicshome.com/thehouse/article/one-of-the-most-energy-inefficient-in-europe-the-uks-housing-stock-needs-retrofitting-to-meet-net-zero
BRE Trust – Report on Housing in Europe :
https://www.bre.co.uk/filelibrary/Briefing papers/92993_BRE_Poor-Housing_in_-Europe.pdf
Related Organisations :
Living Streets North Tyneside :
http://ntynesidelivingstreets.org.uk
Citizens UK (Tyne & Wear) :
https://www.citizensuk.org/tyne_wear