Reform council proposes scrapping climate emergency declaration
The motion is likely to pass due to Reform’s majority on the council
Reform-run North Northamptonshire Council is set to propose a motion to scrap the council’s climate emergency declaration at a meeting this evening.
Leon Gibbs, a Reform councillor who has seconded the motion, says that Reform is scrapping the declaration because it does not believe in declaring an emergency “while simultaneously working towards a target 24 years away”.
Gibbs also said that Reform “care deeply about the future of North Northamptonshire’s environment and believe the council should focus its efforts and resources on the areas where it can make a real difference”.
The climate emergency declaration was adopted in 2021 under the then Conservative-run administration.
Last year, the Reform-run executive voted to scrap the council’s target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, delaying it to 2050 in line with the national net-zero target.
Ben Williams, deputy leader of the Green group, pointed out that the net zero target is now 24 years away because Reform pushed it back.
Reacting to Gibbs’ comment that Reform cares about the future of North Northamptonshire’s environment, Williams said: “Their actions so far don’t reflect that sentiment.”
He added: “There are so many opportunities on the table that they could invest in whether it’s renewable energy or insulating people’s homes, there’s no evidence of any of that.”
“For them to delay the net zero target from 2030 to 2050 is one thing, then to now not declare an emergency and not measure carbon is another,” he said.
Williams noted that over 20 members of the public have requested to speak on the motion at the meeting today.
“Reform can’t say residents don’t care about this because it’s an item that has had such an insane amount of interest from the public,” Williams said.
The motion is likely to pass as Reform has a majority of 12 on the council. However, there is widespread opposition to scrapping the climate emergency declaration among opposition councillors.
The Northamptonshire Telegraph has also reported that protesters plan to gather outside Corby Cube, the council building, this evening to oppose the motion.
Despite several Reform having scrapped climate emergency declarations at several councils it runs, including in Derbyshire, Durham, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Kent, voters are concerned about climate change.
Polling by Ipsos in August found that 74% of voters report being concerned about climate change.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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