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| Dawn Butler MP, members of Brent Friends of the Earth and constituents at the #Time Is Now Climate Emergency lobby at the House of Commons today |
The petition reads:
We the undersigned petition the council to declare a Climate Emergency and develop an action plan to decrease carbon emission accordingly and make Brent more resilient to climate change.
Due to human activity, the global average temperature of the planet has increased by 1 degree compared to pre-industrial levels. According to the IPCC, an increase by 2 degrees Celsius will be dangerous for mankind and 1.5 is still in reach but urgently needs drastic measures. However, we are en route to an increase of 3 to 4 degrees by the end of the century.
Cities consume over two-thirds of the world’s energy and account for more than 70% of global CO2 emissions as carbon emission results from both production and consumption. Cities are also easier to decarbonise than rural areas.
Individuals cannot make the necessary reductions on their own. The UK parliament has declared a Climate Emergency but all governments (national, regional and local) have a duty to limit the negative impacts of Climate Breakdown. Local Governments that recognise this have an obligation to implement the necessary measures and incentives to work towards carbon neutrality by 2025.
We call on Brent Council to include the following points as part of the action plan;
- invest in the appropriate infrastructure,
- develop residential and commercial incentives,
- develop guidelines for businesses and provide resources to assess carbon footprint,
- protect and prosper natural habitat,
- report every 6 months on measures taken, accomplished progress and results.
The petition can be found HERE
I understand that a motion declaring a Climate Emergency may be debated at Brent Full Council meeting in July.