Thame town council says ‘No’ to declaring a Climate Emergency

AT a meeting on Tuesday, 18/06/19, Thame Town Council rejected a motion calling for it to declare a Climate Emergency. Arguments for it were presented by a group of local activists and organisations, who had come together as a Thame Climate Alliance, in front of a full pubic gallery of around 50 local residents.

The motion began with a wide-ranging speech by Max spokes, Head Boy of Lord Williams’ School in Thame, who spoke for the Thame Climate Alliance and Oxfordshire Youth climate Action. He spoke evocatively advocating for the motion. He focused on how the world had to respond quickly to the building Climate Crisis, the importance of keeping global heating below 1.5°C and how humanity had ‘failed the earth’: “We have betrayed the greatest friend we have [and now] we have treated our home like a shop going out of business.”

He went on to quote the recent United Nations IPCC report on the devastating effect a 1.5°C and 2°C temperature rise would have on our eco system: “Coral populations would be completely wiped out,” explained Max, “and hundreds of millions of people will be at risk of climate based poverty.”

Max also outlined the adverse effects pollution has on people in Thame and the additional strain it places on the NHS. He also showed how the Thame community cares for this issue pointing out the ground-breaking work already being done by the Green Living Plan, the Lord Williams’ students climate protest and letter to John Howell MP, and the hundreds of local people who had demonstrated their concerns by taking part in the ‘Save The Planet’ themed Carnival Procession the previous weekend.

After the speech, the council had the opportunity to ask the panel from Thame Climate Alliance questions. These focused on the arguments for and many against the motion, such as how the UK is outperforming many comparable western countries in its climate goals and, from one councillor, how declaring a climate emergency would be more of a ‘symbolic gesture’ rather than change politics that will effect Thames constituents.

However the panel responded by talking about how, despite being a leader in climate policy, the UK is still behind it’s Paris Climate Agreement commitment and how showing the people of Thame how important an issue this crisis is would help add urgency and focus to implementing the town’s Environmental Policy(currently in Draft form) and future environmental policies.

Councillor Sonja Francis then presented the the details of the motion which came in three parts:

To consider the motion that Thame Town Council:

a) Agrees to commit to some immediate actions, and commit to complete a detailed Strategic Action Plan aimed at doing all within its powers to contribute to halving Thame’s CO2 emissions by 2030, and to aim towards reaching net zero carbon in Thame by 2040.

b) Agrees to report back on this plan and its progress in 6 months’ time.

c) Declares a ‘climate emergency’ to give the issue the focus and awareness it needs.

She stressed that this motion would require the council to do nothing more than it can ‘with in its powers and resources and emphasised the strong support this motion had from the citizens that Thame Town Councillors represented, a sentiment which drew cheers from the audience. Cllr Francis suggested a number of short-term, cost effective policies that the council could implement. These included changing to a green energy supplier, instaling motion activated light switches, reduce grass cutting to encourage more bio-diversity and pollinators.

The meeting was then promptly moved on to the debate where many councillors expressed the view that they did not support the motion, giving a variety of reasons, including a belief that the extent of climate change had been over-stated and another that, because Thame represents such a small fraction of the worldwide climate polution compared to countries like India and china, reducing Thame’s impact would be of no consequence. One councillor feared that by prioritising environmental issues, the council’s budget and resources would be unable to cope.

“To label Climate change as an emergency at the level of a humble parish council,” said one, “would be nothing more than a sensational headline.”

“This motion seeks to impose an arbitrary target,” said another councillor to which another responded: “Climate Change is an emergency and this motion labels this crisis for what it is.”

The debate ended with Cllr Sonja Francis, who proposed the motion, which was seconded by Cllr Kate Gregory, making the final case for the
motion summarising many earlier points on the severity of the situation, and how the motion would not require any commitment beyond what the Thame Town Council could legally make within its powers.

When the council voted the result was 3 votes for, 3 abstained, and 5 against meaning an overall rejection of the motion.

After the vote, Max Spokes said: “It is incredibly disappointing. The Thame council is ignoring the the fact that the Planet is in crisis. But nevertheless, we will continue to work with the Thame Green Living Group to ensure that we start reducing our contribution to climate change.

“If the Thame Town Council will not work with added urgency to ensure Thame’s future is sustainable, then the citizens of Thame, I have no doubt, will take this responsibility on their own shoulders.”

After the meeting, Cllr Sonja Francis, who was elected to the town council in May, representing the Green Party, said: “Of course, I am extremely disappointed that some councillors do not yet understand the extend of the crisis we find ourselves in, and were not willing, despite the evidence all around them, to simply set an example to the town they represent, in symbolising that they do appeciate that there is Climate Crisis, and the urgent need for us all to work together to play our part in trying to mitigate dangerous warming.

“The fact that Thame is the first town in the country to be making a Green Living Plan, is something we should all be very proud of and support, but the time for urgent action is upon us and I hope that, even though my motion was defeated, councillors have had a chance to listen to the arguments and with more discussion and reseach among themselves, and by all working together, Policies and actions will happen more promptly than they otherwise might.

“I should like to thank the Thame Climate Alliance for bringing forward this very important motion and I know that, as a consequence of their concerns, Thame Town Council will be considering its approach to Climate Change when it holds a promised, dedicated meeting on the subject, very soon.”

From the result at the end of the meeting, it was clear that many members of the council, despite apparent support from their constituents, were resistant to passing a motion that would only have invigorated their commitment to their own environmental policies, and how many councillors did not view climate change with the seriousness that the growing number of councils who have already declared a Climate Emergency, do.

NB You can read the town council’s explanation for why it did not pass the motion to declare a Climate Emergency, in this week’s Council News Letter HERE

SOURCE: Contributed by Alfie Richards