The County Council is taking steps to deal with climate change:
Futures Forum: A Green Action Plan for Devon
Futures Forum: Climate change > County Council declares 'climate emergency' but fails to commit to becoming carbon neutral by 2030
With more from Daniel Clark writing for Radio Exe:
Council pledge money to help tackle climate change in Devon
Monday, May 13th, 2019 3:57pm
By Daniel Clark
A drive to cut carbon emissions and tackle climate change is being backed by a cash pledge from Devon County Council.
Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting will see councillors asked to set aside £250,000 towards an initiative to persuade organisations, communities and individuals to do more to reduce global warming. The cash comes from an emergency fund the council holds that was not required to be spent due to the mild and storm-free winter, so the £250,000 has been used to create a Climate Change Emergency Reserve. The funds have been reallocated from the 2018/19 budget, for which a £63,000 underspend was recorded, with the cabinet to be asked to approve the allocation of the funds to get the climate change initiative moving.
Leader of the council, Cllr John Hart, has also called for a Devon Carbon Plan to be produced that would set out how everyone – from the largest organisation through our towns and villages right through individuals – is going to reduce emissions. He wants to bring together public bodies across the county with business representatives and the utility companies to support urgent action on the climate emergency.
They are all being asked to acknowledge the climate emergency and establish what measures need to be taken to decarbonise Devon, what they can do themselves and what would need the Government to intervene.
Cllr Hart said: “We clearly can’t do this alone but I want Devon to take a lead in bringing organisations, communities and individuals together to take action. This is an issue that affects us all and requires action from all of us from large-scale corporate concerns to the individual resident. That’s why I’ve asked the Chief Executive, Phil Norrey, to lead on this to demonstrate how seriously we are taking it.
“Since I became leader of Devon County Council in 2009, we’ve managed to set a balanced budget every year with some small surpluses. We’ve done that again for 2018/19 and I will be asking the council to approve £250,000 to cover the costs of getting this initiative moving.
“I would like to see a Devon Carbon Plan produced that would set out how we are all going to reduce emissions – from the largest organisation through our towns and villages right through to as many committed individuals as possible. We are all in this together and we have to tackle it together.”
Earlier this year the county council declared a ‘climate emergency’ and committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050, with the authority having already cut its carbon emissions by 36 per cent since 2012, but Cllr Hart said that the county has to do more. A Citizens’ Assembly would also be set up, representing the views and opinions of people across Devon, to review what is proposed.
Recently, East Devon District Council agreed to work with the county council to tackle climate change in areas where meaningful change could be made, but agreed to consider setting a more ambitious date than 2050 for becoming carbon neutral.
Teignbridge District Council last month declared a climate emergency with an aim to be carbon neutral by 2025.
Council pledge money to help tackle climate change in Devon - Radio Exe
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Activists "swarming" on Western Way. Image @XRExeter, Twitter
They blocked roads in 3 locations across the morning.
Around 40 climate change activists have intermittently blocked main roads in Exeter today.
They started on Western Way during rush hour causing gridlock, before moving onto Topsham Road. It's now emerged the group had to move from there because they were blocking people trying to get to the funeral of a teenager at the Crematorium.
The Extinction Rebellion movement is protesting at what it says is government and local authority inaction on climate change.
The Extinction Rebellion movement is protesting at what it says is government and local authority inaction on climate change.
"Swarming" involves blocking roads whilst handing out leaflets and giving information to drivers. They've been doing it at 7 minute intervals, but often that did not give time for traffic to recover.
The first on Western Way (Image: @XRExeter, Twitter)
The second on Topsham Road (Image: @XRExeter, Twitter)
Exeter Extinction Rebellion activist Caspar Hughes said: “Transport is the UK’s Climate Emergency Front Line. We need our government and local authorities to radically overhaul the way they fund and build transport. Investment in a resilient, healthy transport system that will benefit our children, is what is required. Our current plans continue to fund the fossil fuels corporations who are well aware of the damage they are causing.”
A Devon County Council spokesman said: “The draft transport strategy focuses at encouraging more people to travel sustainably and includes an ambitious target for walking and cycling In Exeter. It aims to improve the health and wellbeing of citizens in various ways including by reducing the amount of traffic in Exeter City Centre, and increasing the ways to travel sustainably. The strategy is focused changing people’s travelling habits and there is no mention of building new roads. The two road schemes considered by our cabinet today are replacement roads and not new roads. In both cases they will improve sustainable transport links. The Cullompton scheme will improve air quality in the town and enable elements of pedestrianisation in the High Street, allowing for improved pedestrian and cycling facilities. The widening of the airport road will allow for the development of improved bus and cycle facilities. The Teign Estuary cycle route, also being discussed by cabinet, is a major scheme. It’s bigger than the Cullompton and airport schemes combined. Once completed the cycle route will improve leisure cycling and walking around the Exe and Teign Estuarys and improve commuter routes between Teignmouth and Newton Abbot.”
Chief Inspector Russ Dawe from Devon and Cornwall Police who was at the scene said they were made aware of the planned protests yesterday and the neighborhood policing team had been in attendance all morning "to warn and inform both protesters and the community around what's right and what's wrong, what's lawful and what's not. And also to differentiate between those that are here to actively commit an offences and those that aren't."
