Public Consultation Launched On Climate Emergency Action Plan
Hounslow Council seeksviews on plans for a sustainable borough
Hounslow Council has launched a public consultation on its draft Climate Emergency Action Plan, following approval from the council’s Cabinet on 21 January.
The public consultation is open until Monday 30 March and you can read their draft Climate Emergency Action Plan and take part in the consultation.
Two consultation Events are being held at Hounslow House on Thursday 27 February (12pm to 4pm) and Monday 2 March (6pm to 9pm).
Residents and stakeholders are invited to come along to review the draft Climate Emergency Action Plans and to participate in discussions with officers and councillors. Places are limited so booking is essential. To book your place, click on the following links:
In June 2019, Hounslow Council joined other local authorities, the Mayor of London and the UK Parliament in declaring a climate emergency. A specialist consultancy, Eunomia Research was then engaged to review the council’s current work in reducing its carbon emissions to net zero by 2030, alongside using its influence to reduce wider emissions from across the borough to support the development of a local response.
The draft Climate Emergency Action Plan, outlines a number of programmes that will be developed and implemented to deliver a reduction in carbon emissions over a ten-year timescale.
Councillor Katherine Dunne, Cabinet Member for Communities and Climate Emergency at Hounslow Council said, “We are really pleased to have progressed our Climate Emergency Action Plan to this stage. We believe that it represents a comprehensive blueprint for reducing carbon emissions in Hounslow. The world has woken up to climate change and we can’t delay in taking action in tackling the biggest threat to our planet the world has ever seen.
“We all have a part to play in addressing this global challenge and we want to hear your views on whether you feel the council has developed the right programmes and identified suitable actions to not only reduce emissions from its estate, but also to influence a reduction in borough-wide emissions.”
Last week Chiswick Conservative councillors accused Hounslow Council of being 'more 'words than action' when tackling the climate emergency.
Councillor Gabriella Giles, Conservative Group spokesman on environment, (pictured above), called on Labour to lead by example, and make small everyday changes within its own organisation relating to recycling and sustainability.
They want the Council to pledge that from 27 February (the date of the next public engagement event of the council’s climate emergency action plan) it would no longer use, in any of its premises, any single use plastics that cannot be recycled in Hounslow. The group also wanted a commitment from the council that, from the date of the council meeting (28 January), it would no longer produce any publicity or promotional materials that cannot be recycled in Hounslow.
“We understand that the climate emergency action plan has focused primarily on becoming carbon neutral, but the council also has to realise that there are small everyday decisions that everyone can make to become a more sustainable society,” Cllr Gabriella Giles said.
“The council has produced who knows how many button badges promoting the Borough of Culture bid. They aren’t currently being recycled here. It’s been handing out silicone wristbands to promote its services; they aren’t recycled here. And much as we enjoyed receiving Christmas cards from fellow councillors, large numbers of cards had glitter on them which makes them unsuitable for recycling in full.”
The Council's draft Climate Emergency Action Plan outlines seven key programmes for reducing council direct carbon emissions.
These are:
Energy efficiency
Renewable energy
Electrify vehicle fleet
Reducing employee transport
Waste management
Culture change and governance
Sustainable investment and funding
February 5, 2020
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