Agenda item

The motion was moved by Councillor Anwar and seconded by Councillor

Krupski. Following contributions from Councillors Sorba and Sheikh, the

motion was then put to the vote and declared to be unanimously carried.

RESOLVED that the following motion be agreed:

Lewisham Council notes:

Humans have already caused irreversible climate change, the impacts of

which are being felt around the world. Global temperatures have increased by

1 degree Celsius from pre-industrial levels. Atmospheric CO2 levels are

above 400 parts per million (ppm) and continue to rise. This far exceeds the

350 ppm deemed to be a safe level for humanity;

Without significant and sustained action, the world will exceed the Paris

Agreement’s 1.5°C limit before 2050.  The government’s policies and

programmes to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 are insufficient.

Individual and collective action is needed to make this reduction. Society

needs to change its laws, taxation, infrastructure and culture to recognise and

meet the full cost of greenhouse gases. 

The public sector has a fundamental role in enabling individuals and

communities to make sustainable low carbon choices.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Special Report on Global

Warming of 1.5°C, published in October 2018, describes the enormous harm

that a 2°C rise is likely to cause compared to a 1.5°C rise.  The IPCC identify

that limiting global warming to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious

action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society, the private

sector and local communities;

In Lewisham, the consequences of inaction to address this climate emergency

will include:

•           Increased risk of flooding and damage to buildings, infrastructure and

the local economy.

•           Health problems, particularly for children, older people and those with

pre-existing conditions.

•           Higher living costs including energy, food, travel and insurance costs.

•           Increases in social injustice and inequality.

•           Financial and emotional consequences for residents with families

around the world adversely affected by the impact of a changing climate

Councils around the world, including the Mayor of London and other local

authorities in London and the UK have responded by declaring a ‘climate

emergency’ and committing resources to address this emergency.

Lewisham Council resolves to:

1.         Declare a ‘climate emergency’

2. Recognise that a changing climate will have severe and enduring social,

economic and environmental implications, and that tackling climate change is

an issue of inequality as the greatest impact will be on the most vulnerable

and those least able to protect themselves.

Call on the Mayor and Cabinet to:

1. Pledge to do everything within their power to make Lewisham carbon

neutral by 2030.

2. Launch a review to report to on delivering a Zero-Carbon Lewisham

including:

•           Publishing a new Lewisham Action Plan on Climate Change, with an

interim draft ready for scrutiny by the Sustainable Development Select

Committee and Mayor & Cabinet before the end of the municipal year

2019/20.

•           Setting specific and measurable targets to reduce carbon emissions for

the Council and for the borough as a whole, including costed milestones to

zero-carbon;

•           Consider systematically the climate change impact of each area of the

Council’s activities;

•           Increase local resilience to climate impacts already in the system.

3. Task an Executive Director with responsibility for reducing the carbon

emissions resulting from the Council’s activities as rapidly as possible, and

ensuring a coordinated approach across housing, our corporate estate,

transport, regeneration, planning and other services.

4. Continue to prioritise support for vulnerable residents through the Council’s

fuel poverty programmes working with partners at a community, borough wide

and regional level to provide advice services and access to funding for

heating, insulation and ventilation. 

5. Accelerate existing programmes to deliver reductions in greenhouse gas

emissions including delivery of heat networks in the borough, low carbon

development and high quality housing, an efficient and low carbon corporate

estate and support for renewables and for community energy.

6. Work with partner bodies across the borough and across London to ensure

the climate emergency is adequately reflected in the development and

implementation of all borough wide strategies and plans.

7. Reaffirm Lewisham’s membership of UK100, and use our membership to

work with other councils across the UK to meet climate change targets.

8. Draw up a communications strategy to support delivery of a Zero-Carbon

Lewisham and enable Lewisham residents to make low carbon choices.

9. Call on the UK Government to provide the powers and resources to make

this possible.