That the Cabinet resolves to;

i)       Support the Climate and Ecological Emergency (CEE) Bill;

ii)      Inform the local media of this decision including sharing information on social media;

iii)     Write to local Members of Parliament asking them to support the CEE Bill; and

iv)    Write to the CEE Bill Alliance, the organisers of the campaign for the Bill expressing our support (campaign@ceebill.uk).

To endorse the motion and demonstrate support for the CEE Bill.

None.

This decision will come into force and may be implemented on 26 July 2021 unless the call-in procedure is triggered (as set out in Standing Orders in relation to Overview and Scrutiny).

The Cabinet considered a motion in relation to the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill, notice of which was given in accordance with Standing Order A14.

Councillor Morey proposed and Councillor Law seconded a motion, as set out below which was agreed unaminously by the Cabinet:

Parliament declared a Climate Emergency back in 2019 but actions haven’t matched their words. An emergency requires strong, decisive action to reverse the climate and ecological crisis.  The Climate and Ecological Emergency (CEE) Bill was drafted last summer by scientists, legal experts, ecological economists and environmentalists to reverse the climate and ecological breakdown we face.

The Bill asks the UK to take responsibility for its fair share of greenhouse gas emissions, to actively restore biodiverse habitats in the UK and to stop damage to the environment through the production, transportation and disposal of the goods we consume.

Objectives of the Bill:

·         For the UK to do its fair share to limit global heating to 1.5°C

·         To do so, the UK must reduce its emissions drastically; take account of its entire carbon footprint, domestically and internationally; and circumscribe reliance on speculative future carbon capture technologies.

·         Conserve the natural world

·         This requires the UK to focus on restoring biodiversity, soils, natural carbon sinks; to take steps to mitigate the damage to nature caused by UK supply chains, domestically and internationally; and account for the UK’s entire ecological footprint.

·         Giving people a real say, supported by experts

·         An emergency Citizens’ Assembly working with experts will empower MPs to make tough decisions, and give ordinary people a real say, based on the science, on the pathway forward for a fair and just transition to a thriving zero-carbon society.

Therefore this Cabinet resolves to:

1.    Support the Climate and Ecological Emergency (CEE) Bill;

2.    Inform the local media of this decision including sharing information on social media;

3.    Write to local Members of Parliament asking them to support the CEE Bill; and

4.    Write to the CEE Bill Alliance, the organisers of the campaign for the Bill expressing our support (campaign@ceebill.uk).

None.