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Kingsbridge Town Council officially supports the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill

Kingsbridge Town Council officially supports the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill

SA Sam Acourt Updated June 16, 2021

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Kingsbridge Town Council officially supports the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill

Kingsbridge Town Council has joined other councils in our area in officially supporting the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill, a pledge in law to undertake action to keep our planet's warming within 1.5°C.

At the full council meeting on 8 June, Kingsbridge Town Councillors voted to support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill, which is currently working its way through Parliament.

This means that KTC have joined Devon County Council, Ivybridge Town Council, South Brent Town Council, Totnes Town Council, Littlehempston Parish Council, Rattery Parish Council, Slapton Parish Council and Staverton Parish Council in supporting the bill.

South Hams Climate Action Network, a volunteer community group, commented on the news, saying: "Thank you Kingsbridge! Anthony Mangnall MP and Sir Gary Streeter MP: we ask you please to listen to your constituents and support this vital bill. The CEE Bill will be a game changer. A pledge, in law, to follow the science to do our bit to keep temperatures within 1.5°C and protect and restore our depleted natural world.

"The UK is hosting the COP26 climate summit this November. COP meetings one to 25 have had no discernible effect on CO₂ levels. We need bold new thinking, and strong leadership. The UK can deliver that with the CEE Bill.

"A legal commitment will give businesses and individuals the certainty they need to invest and retrain.

"The Bill will serve as a blueprint for policy-makers in other advanced economies, and finally help turn the corner on this dual crisis in nature and climate.

"For the sake of our children and grandchildren, we now must make a rock solid legal commitment to stop dithering and follow the science."

The council resolved to not only support the bill but to request Tesco to install a significant Solar PV array on its store roof to "set an example for tackling Climate Change locally".

Kingsbridge Town Council also resolved to "support a Climate Change & Nature Emergency Survey", which would be delivered to every household in Kingsbridge, either online via SurveyMonkey or via a paper copy returned to the council offices. The findings from that would be used to demonstrate the progress that Kingsbridge households were making to climate change matters and would include advice for people to do more.

They said the survey would also link with a South Hams Offset Your Carbon Scheme (SHOCS) to households to consider funding local tree planting and other local carbon-reduction schemes.

You can learn more about the CEE Bill by visiting the website: www.sh-can.org, with your questions and concerns answered here: www.sh-can.org/faqs-database/

Image: Created by Barry Saxifrage for VisualCarbon.org via South Hams Climate Action Network