| C.435 | Two Notices of Motion had been received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 12.
(A) “The North West Climate Change Charter commits those organisations which adopt it to a number of actions.
These are:
- To take action to mitigate and adapt to climate change
- To acknowledge that action is needed globally, internationally, Europe-wide, national, regional and local
- To help the region to achieve the national goal of reducing CO2 by 60% by 2050 (based on 1990 levels)
- To support better ways to co-ordinate actions on climate change across the region
- To put climate change at the heart of our internal decision-making process
- To take all practical steps to limit C02 emissions and to respond to the challenges posed by the impacts of climate change
- To set up organisation-wide and effective C02 measurement and monitoring arrangements and compare our results with appropriate benchmarks
- To work with others to communicate our progress and successes and to encourage others to take action to ensure that England’s Northwest becomes a champion for climate change activity.
The Charter has been adopted by the regional concordat partners:
North West Regional Assembly
North West Development Agency
Government Office North West
United Utilities and by 18 NW local authorities
plus numerous other public, private and voluntary sector organisations
Resolved:
That this Council adopts the North West Climate Change Charter”
In the names of Councillors Boden and Matthews
Councillor Boden sought the permission of the Council under Council Procedure Rule 14.7, as the mover of the above Motion, to alter the Motion by way of an amendment the purpose of which was to incorporate the terms of the following Motion with specified amendments, which had been set out on the Council Summons in the names of Councillors D’Albert, Davison, H A Garner, A S Garner, O’Hanlon and Pickstone:-
“(B)Climate Change Strategy and Ecological Footprint Motion
“This Council notes that July 2006 was the hottest month since records began in central England in 1659, and 2006 has seen the fourth warmest summer on record, with the three warmest all in the last thirty years.
This Council further notes that despite efforts to date to combat climate change, carbon dioxide emissions in the UK are still increasing, having risen by 2.9% in the last eight years.
This Council also notes that Britain’s ecological footprint (which measures the amount of resources used by each person in the UK such as food, fuel, energy, metals, wood etc. and the waste these produce: carbon dioxide, other gases, waste water, rubbish etc) is also unsustainable, requiring approximately three earths to sustain.
This Council therefore also resolves:
1. to identify best practice within Bury, from around the UK and overseas and produce -
(a) a climate change strategy by May 2007; and
(b) by the end of 2008 a broader environmental sustainability strategy, action plan and targets covering energy, planning and construction, transport, water, food, waste and biodiversity.
2. to publicise the results of Bury's Ecological Footprint report (produced by the Stockholm Environment Institute) so that local residents are aware of their impact on the global environment.
3. appoint a Sustainability Champion to lead advocacy across the community.
4. integrate environmental sustainability into all the Council’s strategy and planning processes.
5. to work with other public service providers in Bury to ensure action is taken across all public services to tackle climate change and improve environmental sustainability.
6. make support and advice available to all Councillors wanting to plan in detail how they can be effective leaders of the transition to environmental sustainability in their community.
7. to receive an annual report on progress against the targets in the climate change and environmental sustainability strategies.
This Council also encourages Councillors and staff to lead the changes needed in their communities by assessing their ecological footprint over the next three months, and from that, produce action plans on how they can reduce their ecological footprint by the end of the year.”
In the names of Councillors: D'Albert, Davison, A J Garner, A S Garner, O'Hanlon and Pickstone.
At the request of the Worshipful Mayor, Councillor Pickstone, on behalf of the other signatories to Motion (B), agreed the proposed course of action to which no other Member in the Chamber raised an objection.
Councillor Boden moved that Motions (A) and (B) be combined with the following amendments:-
i) Add the word “Furthermore” before the words “Before the Council” in Motion (B)
ii) On the last line of the third paragraph of Motion (B), add the words “if everyone on the planet were to consume at our rates”.
iii) After the words “This Council therefore resolves i”, delete the word “produce” in the second line and substitute the word “adopt”.
iv) After “3” delete “appoint a” and substitute the words “authorise the”.
v) In the first line of the final paragraph after the words “Councillors and staff” insert the words “acting through their Area Boards”.
vi) In the second line of the final paragraph, delete the words “over the next three months” and in the third and fourth lines of the final paragraph, delete the words “by the end of the year.”
The amendment was seconded by Councillor Matthews.
On being put, with none dissenting, the amendment was declared carried.
Councillor Bibby moved a further amendment that the words “subject to financial considerations being taken into account and a report be submitted subsequently to a future meeting of the Executive” after the words “That this Council adopts the North West Climate Change Charter”.
On being put, and with none dissenting, the amendment was declared carried.
Prior to the casting of votes on the substantive Motion, Councillor W A Campbell, supported by at least seven other Members, requested that the voting be recorded so as to show how each Member cast their vote.
The result of the voting on the substantive Motion was as follows:-
For
D Ashworth, P Ashworth, Audin, Bibby, Bigg, Boden, E B Briggs, K S Briggs, Brown, Byrne, G Campbell, L E Campbell, W A Campbell, Cassidy, Chamberlain, Chaudhry, Cohen, Connolly, Costello, Creswell, Cummings, D’Albert, Davison, A J Garner, A S Garner, Gartside, Gibb, Grime, Gunther, Hankey, Higgin, Holt, Isherwood, Magnall, Matthews, O’Hanlon, Pickstone, Rothwell, Sharkey, Smith, Southwell, Sullivan, Taylor, Theckston, Vincent, Walker, Wiseman and Wright. (48)
Against
None.
Abstained
The Worshipful the Mayor. (1)
The substantive Motion was declared carried.
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