100 signatures reached
To: West Devon and Torridge Councillors, Geoffrey Cox MP and Mel Stride MP
Help Protect Nature and Halt Climate Change
We ask Geoffrey Cox MP and Mel Stride MP to support the CEE Bill in Parliament
We ask all Devon District Councillors to vote in favour of the following or an equivalent motion:
"This council has formally recognised the climate and biodiversity emergency (May 2019,) has signed The Devon Climate Declaration (July 2019) and has a Climate Change and Biodiversity Strategy. This council is committed to actions to change behaviour to address the causes of this situation and mitigate the impacts.
In line with the above, this council supports the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill proposed by a coalition of scientists, academics and lawyers with the aim of bringing the UK’s climate policy into one with evolving scientific evidence. This proposed Bill is also supported by 110 cross-party members of parliament. Nationally we need a strong legislative framework that embeds the Government’s targets in law, enabling us as supportive players, to plan and develop our future trajectories, to fit in with those targets." Council therefore resolves to:
i. Support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill
ii. Inform the local media of this decision;
iii. Write to local MPs, asking them to support the Bill;
iv. Write to the national CEE Bill Alliance, the organisers of the campaign for the Bill, expressing its support ([email protected])’
Why is this important?
Many local councils, including Devon County Council support the CEE Bill and by doing so they are giving MPs the mandate to support this bill in parliament. Signing this petition to West Devon Council is a real way of getting your voice heard.
We need to let our MPs know that we want them to join the cross party parliamentary support for this bill.
The dangers of climate change and loss of natural habitat are happening across the whole world. People are dying and species extinction is accelerating. Governments are not taking enough action. Our Government appointed Committee on Climate Change gave this key message in June 2021 "This defining year for the UK’s climate credentials has been marred by uncertainty and delay to a host of new climate strategies. Those that have emerged have too often missed the mark. With every month of inaction, it is harder for the UK to get on track."
The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee stated in June 2021 "Of all G7 countries, the UK has the lowest level of biodiversity left. 15% of our species are now threatened with extinction. It is not too late to change course. Experts say that this downward trend can be reversed, but only through urgent transformative change."
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says it is now “Code Red for Humanity.” and warns that immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are needed to keep alive any hope of keeping to the goal, established in 2015 as a threshold for avoiding the worst impacts of climate change.
How it will be delivered
The signatures will be sent to all West Devon Councillors prior to the vote on the motion, which is scheduled for September 28th 2021.
The signatures will be sent to all Torridge Councillors prior to the vote on the motion, which is scheduled for 1st 2021.
The petition progress will be available for and reported to Geoffrey Cox MP and Mel Stride MP
