Renewed calls for Norfolk to declare a climate emergency
70% of UK councils have declared emergency.
Last updated 7th Oct 2021
Norwich Friends of the Earth have renewed calls for local authorities to declare a climate emergency.
Only 30% of councils in the UK, including Norfolk County Council, have not made the announcement.
The group told us that with freakish weather becoming more common and COP26 being hosted in the UK at the end of the month, it means there's no better time to make this statement.
Dr Sarah Eglington, co-ordinator of the group told us that Norfolk County Council need to be more proactive:
"It's pretty embarrassing that our council is one of the few to do this, especially with all the scientific evidence about on this."
She went on to say that despite just being a local authority, Norfolk County Council can make a real difference:
"They can look at their planning regulations, they can put in higher standards for creating new housing developments, they can make public transport a much more attractive option, at the moment its so easy just to drive in and park your car".
"They also need to stop investing in roads and our high-carbon infrastructure".
We approached Norfolk County Council for comment and they told us that they are "very confident" in their Environmental strategy devised in 2019, which sets out plans to make the county carbon neutral by 2030.