Calls for urgent climate action take place in Cornwall
Campaigners have been outside County Hall in Truro
Last updated 18th Jan 2022
Climate campaigners have gathered outside County Hall in Truro in a colourful protest urging for more action against the 'climate emergency' declared almost three years ago.
Protesters from Extinction Rebellion, environmental and community groups arrived outside on Tuesday morning (18th January) with a giant cake, 'unhappy' birthday cards to councillors, birthday hats and giant gift boxes.
The protest came with disappointment from those who attended, calling out lack of action from the council since they declared an emergency on 22nd January 2019.
Tim Snell is from Saltash and attended the protest with Cornwall's Extinction Rebellion.
He told us: "We've had a lot of really wonderful sounding rhetoric from Cornwall council on what they're doing to tackle this emergency. Unfortunately the actions do not match the words.
"We've really got to keep this up. The future that we face if we don't tackle climate change head on is absolutely dire. For ourselves, for the rest of humanity, for all life on earth".
Protestors made speeches in the morning to highlight missed opportunities and discuss inaction by discussing solutions and areas the council could work on.
They also shared songs including 'Unhappy Birthday' including lyrics of 'climate catastrophe' and 'action now'. They finished with a council meeting and people's assembly where councillors and public discussed the future steps to bring the Duchy to net zero by 2030.
Colin Martin is the Cornwall councillor for Lostwithiel and spoke for the Liberal Democrats at the protest.
Colin told us: "The emergency hasn't gone away but the attention kind of has, particularly with Covid after the last couple of years. I think it's really important that politicians understand what people care about.
"Clearly people are frustrated that the council declared a climate emergency three years ago, within six months it wrote an action plan for what could be done, not just for the council but for the whole of Cornwall".
"It feels like two and a half years later not enough progress has been made".
He backed the protest and told us it's important for the public to have their say on issues that matter to them.
Colin continued: "What I'm calling for is an climate and environment scrutiny committee to be set up so they can meet regularly hold the council to account on whether these targets can be met. Not just holding the council to account but also holding the rest of the community and the government to account.
"Unless someone is checking that the plan is being delivered having it written on paper doesn't achieve anything.
"Every single house, every single vehicle, every family shop has an impact on the environment but it's not fair for people to have to fix things themselves. We need the good options put in front of us and be structuring them in the way that's affordable."