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The Climate Emergency

Overview

The Council unanimously declared, on 21 May 2019, that the borough is in a Climate Emergency.

The Council agreed that:

  • Climate Change presents a threat to our way of life
  • the Council recognised the need to act in-line with worldwide agreements on Climate Change and the best available evidence, which states that, to limit emissions to 1.5°C, there is a requirement to reach 'net zero' by 2045
  • the Council must play its part by evidencing leadership on this issue.

Climate Emergency response plans

The Council has worked with and engaged a range of partners, climate experts, community groups and businesses to understand the challenges and opportunities the Climate Emergency presents for our area. Two plans have been produced setting out these challenges and the actions that will be taken to achieve carbon neutrality in the borough. The first is the Climate Emergency Response Plan which focuses on the borough wide response to the climate crisis. The second is the Carbon Management Plan which focuses on the Council's response.

The Climate Emergency Response Plan

The Climate Emergency response plan sets out the scale of the challenge that we face, as a borough, to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. The plan is guided by scientific evidence on the current state of emissions in west Cheshire and the engagement and intervention planning undertaken since the Climate Emergency was declared in May 2019. It outlines the action required to achieve carbon neutrality, and how the delivery of these actions will be tracked.

The key highlights of the Climate Emergency Response Plan can be viewed in a digital version of the document.

West Cheshire Climate Emergency Response Plan

Alternatively, download the full Climate Emergency Response Plan:

Carbon Management Plan

The Carbon Management Plan focuses on the Council as an organisation and sets out the actions the Council needs to take to be carbon neutral by 2030. The plan provides an overview of the Council's current position in relation to carbon emissions and outlines the targets to reduce emissions throughout Council services over the next ten years.

The Council's response - The taskforce

The Council has established a cross-party taskforce to understand and plan for the implications, risks and new opportunities for the borough presented by climate change.

The objective of the taskforce will be to shape how the borough responds to the threats and opportunities presented by the Climate Emergency, and develop practical recommendations for the Council to take forward.

The Council's former Chief Executive, Andrew Lewis, presented a report detailing Cheshire West and Chester's response to the Climate Emergency declaration to Council on the 21 January 2020. The report, which was approved by Council, sets out evidence on the Borough's current carbon footprint, and its potential trajectory over the period 2020-2050. It describes a range of actions to reach carbon neutrality within this period; including actions under the direct control of the Council, as well as those the Council could advocate for the Borough as a whole, and at national and international level. As part of the report the Council has declared a target to be carbon neutral as an organisation by 2030.