In July, we saw the hottest day in our country’s history, and there is evidence that we should be expecting many more.
While there are some who disagree with the need to take this seriously, our infrastructure and our country’s ecosystem are not designed to deal with these sorts of temperatures.
In my area, all the trains were cancelled on the East Coast, we saw tarmac melting, crops perishing, waterways low, our river life dying and our wildlife silent.
“If we want our country to continue to be a green and pleasant land, then action is needed”
In London, people lost their homes to fires and there was a real threat to life.
If we want our country to continue to be a green and pleasant land, then action is needed. The High Court has ordered the Government to outline exactly how its net-zero policies will achieve its emissions targets, after a legal challenge from environmental groups.
There is a lot of rhetoric about tax cuts at the moment, and I am concerned about how the country will cope with fewer services and bigger global challenges.
I represented the LGA at a recent Council of European Municipalities and Regions’ event in Bologna, on climate change, and there was a strong message that, as a sector, we can share good practice on what can be done by local government and learn from each other.
Both our group and the LGA collect and share good-practice case studies, so please do share with us how you are working locally to reduce our carbon emissions.