Agenda item

(A) Climate Emergency

Councillor Simon Bull will move and Councillor Chris Rigby will second the following motion:

Full Council notes:

1. Humans have already caused irreversible climate change, the impacts of which are being felt around the world. Global temperatures have already increased by 1 degree Celsius from pre-industrial levels. Atmospheric CO2 levels are above 400 parts per million (ppm). This far exceeds the 350 ppm deemed to be a safe level for humanity;
2. In order to reduce the chance of runaway Global Warming and limit the effects of Climate Breakdown, it is imperative that we as a species reduce our CO2eq (carbon equivalent) emissions from their current 6.5 tonnes per person per year to less than 2 tonnes as soon as possible;1
3. Individuals cannot be expected to make this reduction on their own. Society needs to change its laws, taxation, infrastructure, etc., to make low carbon living easier and the new norm;
4. Carbon emissions result from both production and consumption;
5. Unfortunately, the current BCP Council plans and actions are not enough. The world is on track to overshoot the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C limit before 2050;2,3
6. The IPCC’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C, published last October, describes the enormous harm that a 2°C rise is likely to cause compared to a 1.5°C rise, and told us that limiting Global Warming to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society, the private sector, indigenous peoples and local communities;
7. Councils around the world are responding by declaring a Climate Emergency and committing resources to address this emergency.

Full Council believes that:

1. National, regional and local have a duty to limit the negative impacts of Climate Breakdown, local governments that recognise this should not wait for their national governments to change their policies. It is important for the residents of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and for the UK that towns and cities commit to carbon neutrality as quickly as possible;
2. Large conurbations are uniquely placed to lead the world in reducing carbon emissions, as they are in many ways easier to decarbonise than rural areas – for example because of their capacity for heat networks and mass transit;
3. The consequences of global temperature rising above 1.5°C are so severe that preventing this from happening must be humanity’s number one priority; and,
4. Bold climate action can deliver economic benefits in terms of new jobs, economic savings and market opportunities (as well as improved well-being for people worldwide).

Full Council calls on BCP council to:

1. Declare a ‘Climate and Ecological Emergency’;
2. Pledge to make BCP Council and its operations carbon neutral by 2030, taking into account both production and consumption emissions (scope 1, 2 and 3)5;
3. Work with partners, businesses and the wider community to investigate, make recommendations and set a target date for how early the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole region can be made carbon neutral, ahead of the UK target of 2050;
4. Call on Westminster to provide the powers and resources to make the 2030 and other interim targets possible;
5. Work with other governments (both within the UK and internationally) to determine and implement best practice methods to limit Global Warming to less than 1.5°C;
6. Continue to work with partners across the city region to deliver this new goal through all relevant strategies and plans;
7. Set-up a Citizens’ assembly to enable views of the general public to be taken into account.
8. Report to Full Council within six months with the actions the Council will take to address this emergency. As discussed with officers an action plan with clear quantifiable milestones should be submitted to Full Council in December 2019.

References:

1. Fossil CO2 & GHG emissions of all world countries, 2017: http://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/overview.php?v=CO2andGHG1970-2016&dst=GHGpc
2. World Resources Institute: https://www.wri.org/blog/2018/10/8-things-you-need-know-about-ipcc-15-c-report
3. The IPCC’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5ºC: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sr15/
4. Including US cities Berkeley: https://www.theclimatemobilization.org/blog/2018/6/13/berkeley-unanimously-declares-climate-emergency and Hoboken: https://www.theclimatemobilization.org/blog/2018/4/25/hoboken-resolves-to-mobilize, and the C40 cities: https://www.c40.org/other/deadline-2020
5. Scope 1, 2 and 3 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol explained: https://www.carbontrust.com/resources/faqs/services/scope-3-indirect-carbon-emissions

Note: the following Members have written supporting the above motion:

Councillors Lewis Allison, Richard Burton, L-J Evans, George Farquhar, Andy Hadley, Mark Howell, Lisa Lewis, Marion Le Poidevin, Sandra Moore, Pete Parrish, Vikki Slade and Kieron Wilson.

(B) Safe Passage

Councillor Mike Brooke will move and Councillor Sandra Moore will second the following motion:

We note:

The threat to children fleeing war and oppression is now at the highest level it has been in the last 70 years. We are witnessing the biggest humanitarian crisis since the Second World War, with over 70 million people displaced worldwide by war, persecution and conflict. 25 million of these are refugees and more than 50% are children under 18yrs of age.

·        Every year thousands of unaccompanied child refugees arrive in Europe, mostly in Greece, Italy and increasingly Spain. Many do not stay in those countries but, unaware of their rights, take dangerous journeys north.

·        The charity “Safe Passage” is committed to Safe and Legal routes for child refugees, so not only would these children be properly authenticated by agencies such as UNHCR working with the UK Home Office, but they would arrive by a SAFE and LEGAL ROUTE, not as spontaneous arrivals having taken immense risks in flimsy dinghies, or under or inside lorries. Furthermore, their care would be ensured through a fully government funded scheme, and therefore neither deplete already stretched council funds, nor be an ongoing burden on local taxation.

·        Already over 1,800 refugee children have arrived safely and legally in the UK through routes Safe Passage has helped open.

·        Lord Dubs and Safe Passage are calling upon every local authority across the country to undertake something very simple – to commit to accepting “a minimum of 3 unaccompanied or vulnerable children per year every year for the next 10 years”. Across the country, this would equate to the 10,000 child refugees brought here 80 years ago.

·        Safe Passage has already obtained 1170 + pledges from local authorities across the country. These depend on them being supported by a 100% government-funded plan which Safe Passage is seeking.

·        Safe Passage has undertaken to run a campaign to gather more foster carers (for all children, not just refugee children).

We believe

that since Poole Borough Council agreed last November to give the Safe Passage Initiative the strongest possible support, and to carry the Initiative forward to the new Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council at the earliest possible opportunity, BCP Council should now commit to play its part in helping save the lives of 10,000 children. 

We therefore call upon

BCP Council to make a pledge to accept a “minimum of just 3 unaccompanied or vulnerable children each year for the next 10 years” in commemoration of the 80^th anniversary of the Kindertransport and to show that we in Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole are committed to play our part in this great undertaking to save the lives of 10,000 children. 

Note: the following Members have written supporting the above motion:

Councillors Lewis Allison, Simon Bull, Richard Burton, Mike Cox, Millie Earl, L-J Evans, George Farquhar, Andy Hadley, Mark Howell, Lisa Lewis, Marion Le Poidevin, Rachel Maidment, Pete Parrish, Vikki Slade, Tony Trent and Kieron Wilson.

The Conservative Group Leader has indicated that the Conservative Group is in support of the above motion.

(A)          Climate Emergency

The Council was advised that the following motion had been proposed by Councillor S Bull, seconded by Councillor C Rigby and supported by Councillors L Allison, R Burton, L-J Evans, G Farquhar, A Hadley, M Howell, L Lewis, M Le Poidevin, S Moore, P Parris, V Slade and K Wilson in accordance with Procedure Rule 13.

That this Council notes that:-

1.     Humans have already caused irreversible climate change, the impacts of which are being felt around the world. Global temperatures have already increased by 1 degree Celsius from pre-industrial levels. Atmospheric CO2 levels are above 400 parts per million (ppm). This far exceeds the 350 ppm deemed to be a safe level for humanity;

2. In order to reduce the chance of runaway Global Warming and limit the effects of Climate Breakdown, it is imperative that we as a species reduce our CO2eq (carbon equivalent) emissions from their current 6.5 tonnes per person per year to less than 2 tonnes as soon as possible;1
3. Individuals cannot be expected to make this reduction on their own. Society needs to change its laws, taxation, infrastructure, etc., to make low carbon living easier and the new norm;
4. Carbon emissions result from both production and consumption;
5. Unfortunately, the current BCP Council plans and actions are not enough. The world is on track to overshoot the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C limit before 2050;2,3
6. The IPCC’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C, published last October, describes the enormous harm that a 2°C rise is likely to cause compared to a 1.5°C rise, and told us that limiting Global Warming to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society, the private sector, indigenous peoples and local communities;
7. Councils around the world are responding by declaring a Climate Emergency and committing resources to address this emergency.

Full Council believes that:

1.     National, regional and local have a duty to limit the negative impacts of Climate Breakdown, local governments that recognise this should not wait for their national governments to change their policies. It is important for the residents of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and for the UK that towns and cities commit to carbon neutrality as quickly as possible;

2.     Large conurbations are uniquely placed to lead the world in reducing carbon emissions, as they are in many ways easier to decarbonise than rural areas – for example because of their capacity for heat networks and mass transit;

3.     The consequences of global temperature rising above 1.5°C are so severe that preventing this from happening must be humanity’s number one priority; and,

4.     Bold climate action can deliver economic benefits in terms of new jobs, economic savings and market opportunities (as well as improved well-being for people worldwide).

Full Council calls on BCP council to:

1.     Declare a ‘Climate and Ecological Emergency’;

2.     Pledge to make BCP Council and its operations carbon neutral by 2030, taking into account both production and consumption emissions (scope 1, 2 and 3)5;

3.     Work with partners, businesses and the wider community to investigate, make recommendations and set a target date for how early the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole region can be made carbon neutral, ahead of the UK target of 2050;

4.     Call on Westminster to provide the powers and resources to make the 2030 and other interim targets possible;

5.     Work with other governments (both within the UK and internationally) to determine and implement best practice methods to limit Global Warming to less than 1.5°C;

6.     Continue to work with partners across the city region to deliver this new goal through all relevant strategies and plans;

7.     Set-up a Citizens’ assembly to enable views of the general public to be taken into account.

8.     Report to Full Council within six months with the actions the Council will take to address this emergency. As discussed with officers an action plan with clear quantifiable milestones should be submitted to Full Council in December 2019.

Following debate an amendment was proposed by Councillor K Rampton to include an additional two points:

9. That BCP Council commends the work of the preceding authorities to reduce carbon emissions across our conurbation; and
10. That BCP Council does not condone acts of eco-terrorism and civil disorder in the name of climate and ecological emergency which disrupts lives and impacts on our Policing resources.

The amendment was seconded by Councillor J Kelly.

A proposition was moved and seconded for a recorded vote on the amendment.

Upon being put to the recorded vote the amendment fell with voting:

For

Against

Abstentions

Voting: For – 34; Against – 38; Abstentions – 1

Following further debate the original motion as set out above was put to the recorded vote and carried with voting:

For

There were no votes against the motion.

Abstentions

Voting: For – 72; Against – 0; Abstentions – 1

(B)          Safe Passage

The Council was advised that the following motion had been proposed by Councillor M Brooke, seconded by Councillor S Moore and supported by Councillors L Allison, S Bull, R Burton, M Cox, M Earl, L-J Evans, G Farquhar, A Hadley, M Howell, L Lewis, M Le Poidevin, R Maidment, P Parrish, V Slade, T Trent and K Wilson in accordance with Procedure Rule 13. In addition Council were advised that the Conservative Group Leader had indicated that the Conservative Group is in support of the motion.

That this Council notes:-

The threat to children fleeing war and oppression is now at the highest level it has been in the last 70 years. We are witnessing the biggest humanitarian crisis since the Second World War, with over 70 million people displaced worldwide by war, persecution and conflict. 25 million of these are refugees and more than 50% are children under 18yrs of age.

·         Every year thousands of unaccompanied child refugees arrive in Europe, mostly in Greece, Italy and increasingly Spain. Many do not stay in those countries but, unaware of their rights, take dangerous journeys north.

·         The charity “Safe Passage” is committed to Safe and Legal routes for child refugees, so not only would these children be properly authenticated by agencies such as UNHCR working with the UK Home Office, but they would arrive by a SAFE and LEGAL ROUTE, not as spontaneous arrivals having taken immense risks in flimsy dinghies, or under or inside lorries. Furthermore, their care would be ensured through a fully government funded scheme, and therefore neither deplete already stretched council funds, nor be an ongoing burden on local taxation.

·         Already over 1,800 refugee children have arrived safely and legally in the UK through routes Safe Passage has helped open.

·         Lord Dubs and Safe Passage are calling upon every local authority across the country to undertake something very simple – to commit to accepting “a minimum of 3 unaccompanied or vulnerable children per year every year for the next 10 years”. Across the country, this would equate to the 10,000 child refugees brought here 80 years ago.

·         Safe Passage has already obtained 1170 + pledges from local authorities across the country. These depend on them being supported by a 100% government-funded plan which Safe Passage is seeking.

·         Safe Passage has undertaken to run a campaign to gather more foster carers (for all children, not just refugee children).

We believe:

that since Poole Borough Council agreed last November to give the Safe Passage Initiative the strongest possible support, and to carry the Initiative forward to the new Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council at the earliest possible opportunity, BCP Council should now commit to play its part in helping save the lives of 10,000 children. 

We therefore call upon:

BCP Council to make a pledge to accept a “minimum of just 3 unaccompanied or vulnerable children each year for the next 10 years” in commemoration of the 80^th anniversary of the Kindertransport and to show that we in Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole are committed to play our part in this great undertaking to save the lives of 10,000 children. 

Following comprehensive discussion the motion as set out above was put to the vote and was carried.

Voting: For - Unanimous