Friday, 8 October 2021

Climate Matters Publish Findings of Countywide Forums.

 

Climate Matters Staffordshire have published a report based on the issues raised at four forums on the climate crisis held across the county in August and September [1].


The forums took place in Leek, Lichfield, Rugeley and Stoke-on-Trent and debated issues relating to buildings, waste, transport, and the countryside and were attended by sixty-one people.

In an introduction to the report the organizers write that although produced by ‘a random selection of the residents of Staffordshire and Stoke-on -Trent, the issues raised together with suggested solutions give a snapshot of public opinion and could potentially be used as a model for consultation in the coming months.’

Several common issues and solutions were found across all four forums, these included the difficulty of accessing accurate information, poor communication between government, businesses, and communities about climate change and a lack of support for making changes.

Suggested Solutions included learning from best practice in other parts of the UK and abroad, collaborating with communities to create solutions and change behaviour, and setting up a network to bring organizations and communities together to share ideas.

Climate Matters Staffordshire was set up in 2019 in the wake of councils across the county passing motions declaring a climate emergency. The group chaired by former Green Party leader Jonathon Porrit and former local MP Joan Walley aims to bring together a coalition of local groups and community leaders to develop solutions.

At the time, the first forums took place in August a report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had issued a stark warning about the harm being done to the planet by human activity [3].

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres described the report as a ‘code red warning’ for humanity, going on to say that "If we combine forces now, we can avert climate catastrophe. But, as today's report makes clear, there is no time for delay and no room for excuses.”

Members of North Staffs Green Party attended the forum held at Westport Lake in Stoke-on-Trent, which debated the countryside, food, farming, and nature. They raised issues including declining biodiversity, the need for more ethical farming methods and the need to protect green spaces from development.

A spokesperson said: “we welcome the findings of the four forums and hope they will raise public awareness of this critical issue ahead of the COP26 summit”.

The UK will host the COP26 summit in Glasgow between 31st October and 12th November, the outcomes of this meeting could be the deciding factor in how the world responds to climate change [4].

Despite hosting the COP26 summit concerns have been raised about the UK meeting its targets on climate change. A report published by the Climate Change Committee criticises the Johnson government for being too slow to follow up on the promises it has made on tackling climate change [5].

The report calls for action to be taken in a range of areas, including creating a Net Zero Test against which all government policies would be evaluated for their compatibility with climate change targets.

The report authors write that the government has ‘made historic climate promises in the past year, for which it deserves credit. However, it has been too slow to follow these with delivery. This defining year for the UK’s climate credentials has been marred by uncertainty and delay to a host of new climate strategies. Those that have emerged have too often missed the mark. With every month of inaction, it is harder for the UK to get on track.’

Climate Matters Staffordshire will be hosting a conference on the climate and ecological crisis, at which local authorities from across the county will present their climate action plans.

There will also be a short film presentation and a keynote speech from Dr James Dyke, Senior Lecturer at the Global Systems Institute at Leicester University.

The conference will take place on Thursday 14th October, ticketing information can be found at [2].

 

 

[1] https://www.climatemattersstaffordshire.co.uk/reports

[2] https://www.climatemattersstaffordshire.co.uk/projects-3

[3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58130705

[4] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-56901261

[5] https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/2021-progress-report-to-parliament/

 

 

 

 

 

 

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