Climate emergency plan ripped up by West of England council bosses
A new, more ambitious plan will be drafted by September
Last updated 6th Jul 2021
Plans on how to tackle the climate emergency across the West of England have been ripped up by the region's leaders.
The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) had spent two years on the action plan, but metro mayor Dan Norris and Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees, plus the leaders of South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) Council's have now collectively decided it isn't ambitious enough.
They had been expected to rubber-stamp a progress update but instead BANES Council leader Kevin Guy tabled an amendment to approve some measures in the report, namely to stimulate a green recovery and launch a solar panel collective purchase scheme called Solar Together, but withdraw the rest of it.
Crucially, the amendment included a commitment for the civic leaders to “review the combined authority’s approach to climate emergency and bring back recommendations to a special meeting” of Weca committee and the West of England joint committee, which includes North Somerset Council leader Cllr Don Davies, in September.
Assuming no other surprise decisions, at that meeting they will “confirm a new and ambitious approach towards a climate emergency strategy and action plan ahead of the COP26” United Nations climate change conference in Glasgow in November, the amendment said.
WECA’s climate emergency action plan has faced repeated criticism from greens and environmental activists for lacking ambition, urgency and measurable targets since it was adopted last October.
It sets out broad goals for a low-carbon transport system, low-carbon business, renewable energy, the green environment and low-carbon buildings and places.
But the update report, which committee members refused to accept, said: “Delivering our regional goal will be complex and will require action by national government, unitary authorities, individuals, business and international government.
“The combined authority simply does not have the funding or levers to do it all alone.”
During the meeting at Kingswood civic centre on Friday, June 25, Cllr Guy said it is "really important" that this is not seen as a pause to ongoing work.
“It is a rethink," he said.
"We need measurable actions to take forward.
“This is the most important thing facing this generation and all the generations to come, so we need to have a really clear rethink.
“The word ‘ambitious’ is key."
Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said he welcomed the idea, adding any new plan must be very specific, contain a timeline of events and how changes will be measured.
“We have an opportunity in coming together again around this in September to really set a standard and make a statement in the lead-up to COP," he said.