Members of Cornwall Council have unanimously supported a motion to sign up to the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change.
The motion, which was proposed at today’s meeting of the full Council by Julian German, the Council’s Cabinet member for Waste and Environment and seconded by Council Leader Alec Robertson, and supported by Neil Burden, Dick Cole and Adam Paynter, expresses the Council’s concern about the impact of climate change both in Cornwall, and worldwide. It also sets out its commitment to leading Cornwall in taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to changes in climate by signing up to the Nottingham Declaration.
Over 300 local councils have now signed the Declaration, including the former Cornwall County Council and most of the former district councils.
By signing this Declaration, Cornwall Council has agreed to lead action at the local level. This will involve developing plans with partners and local communities over the next two years to address the causes and impacts of climate change and reduce the climate change impacts of its own operations.
“Climate change is a very important issue for this Council and for Cornwall “said Julian German. “We intend to build upon the excellent work of the former County and district councils in tackling the issue of climate change. Their efforts resulted in tens of thousands of Cornish homes having free measures such as loft and cavity wall insulation installed and hundreds having low carbon heating systems fitted. These initiatives led to the seven councils being awarded Beacon status for sustainable energy in 2006.
“We now intend to double our efforts to help tackle fuel poverty, generate more energy from renewables such as wind, solar and wave power, and to make the development of renewable energy technologies the cornerstone of our approach to economic development.”
Cornwall is widely recognised as one of the leading areas in tackling climate change, with the Government announcing two weeks ago that the South West was to become the UK’s first Low Carbon Economic Area.
Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust which administers the Nottingham Declaration, said “We are delighted that Cornwall Council has shown its commitment to climate change and signed this very important Declaration. Climate change is occurring and will continue to have far reaching effects on the UK’s people and places, economy, society and environment.”