A new committee has been established at Lichfield City Council to help drive climate change and biodiversity issues.
The initiative was put forward by the controlling group at the council at a meeting this week.
Cllr Rosie Harvey-Coggins, deputy leader of Lichfield City Council, was elected as the chair of the new committee, which also includes members from the Liberal Democrat and Conservative groups.
Cllr Harvey Coggins said:
“The continued burning of fossil fuels, intensively farming livestock and deforestation are major contributing factors to the earth’s temperature rising, adding enormous amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
“The effects of this are most devastating to those already marginalised by society. Women constitute 70% of the world’s poor and are more likely to look for income from industries that will be most affected by climate change, for example agriculture – and it is worth noting that in this crisis, forms of inequality work together. Black, migrant, old and disabled people will be disproportionally affected.
“But there is hope. We are not at the point of no return. A change can be made by aiming towards net zero carbon emissions, by moving from a reliance on coal, oil and gas to renewable energy, and by increasing biodiversity to protect the landscape.’
Cllr Rosie Harvey-Coggins
The establishment of the committee was seconded by the leader of the city council, Cllr Dave Robertson. He said:
“It’s almost four years since the city council declared a climate emergency but that was followed by very little real action to try and reduce carbon emissions across our city.
“I’m really proud that, after the change in control in May, the council has set up this committee to bring forward ideas about how we can make a difference on one of the biggest issue facing our community.”
Cllr Dave Robertson
Cllr Harvey-Coggins insisted the parish council committee group could still make an impact despite the global nature of the climate crisis.
“The city council is not too small to make a difference – there are several groups operating locally who are very small, but their impact is significant.
“We wish to work with those groups and add to their efforts with our own. In turn, acting locally and including some of those most marginalised, will encourage others to act on their own initiative or contribute to the efforts of this Committee.
“The greatest threat to our climate is the belief that someone else will solve the crisis.”
Cllr Rosie Harvey-Coggins
I wish them luck. Tackling climate change will be an uphill struggle, with Rishi Sunak back-pedalling on climate commitments, and NIMBYs howling in protest every time a wind farm or solar cell array is proposed, not to mention the objections to new cycle lanes to encourage active travel.
I am intrigued by some of the statements. That small parishes can make a significant difference etcetera. Just how nieve can people be? The commercial world will be happy to have a whole new range of products to sell. It will make no difference at all.
The Global CO2 emissions are INCREASING regardless of our token efforts. In fact even were it possible to genuinely reach carbon zero (which it isn’t) it will still make no difference globally.
Look to China, India, America and Africa if there is to be any change. In spite of all the signs there is no real will from them.
If you want to make a “significant” difference stop buying foreign products or travelling by aircraft.
It’s not going to happen is it? We are sucked into the catastroph whatever we do or don’t do!
The only results from this new committee will be hot air. It’s been 4 years since they declared climate emergency. Thousands of new houses are been built in surrounding areas where’s the solar panels , heat pumps and the where’s all the tree planting. Cllr Harvey-Coggins says the women , black , migrants , old and the disabled people are disproportionally affected. She right at that disabled are banned from city centres , some parts of the country the hated ULEZ charge is forced on them and all the green levys we have to pay making us poorer.
Fantastic news. Well done Dave.
Shame about the Tory party reneging on their promise, though.
How about improving the environmental credentials of development in the area? Planning permission should be more targeted towards environmental initiatives such as better insulated buildings, solar panels and green transport provision including safe pedestrian and cycle routes. Maybe talk to the county council about the lack of a complete footpath between Burntwood and Lichfield. And put a bit of greenery back on traffic islands!
I don’t know how much influence the committee could bring to bear on public transport, but local bus services need bringing into the 21st Century – they grind to a halt in the evenings and on Sundays.
As for recycling, the whole contract with the service providers needs ripping up and starting again. Curbside collections for tetra pak and food waste composting have stopped, and those of us who still have gardens with plants and lawns are charged for using brown bins.
Talk to people. Most are keen to go green. Good luck!
Clare the council is a business and needs to make a profit,its customers are you and us and we are the profit generators for them be it via rubbish collection car parking,rates etc
@Clare Sholl, well said, but its falls on deaf ears. How could anyone seeing what’s happening to the planet object to your comments .
More virtue signalling and money wasting…
Claire Scholl – I seem to remember one Ian Eadie saying that insisting housing developers include green incentives such as solar panels, would discourage said developers from choosing Lichfield. As a result, Mr Eadie decided to not make this provision mandatory.
So short sighted and, quite frankly, deluded.
https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/2021/02/12/councillor-rules-out-forcing-future-housing-developments-in-lichfield-and-burntwood-to-be-carbon-neutral/
@chris Harris: Thank you for your comment. I first started lobbying on environmental issues 30 years ago, and attitudes have changed a lot in that time. A lot more people are listening now than back then. People have a right to disagree with environmentalists if they want, but the tide is turning on the naysayers, and there’s a groundswell of environmental awareness. That gives me hope for the future.
This committee would appear to be a sign that there are councilors who want to see some real action locally to combat climate change, and perhaps they can work together to actually do things that will benefit the environment and local residents at the same time. ‘Think global act local’ as the saying goes. I reckon this initiative is worth supporting.
There has not been or will be no meaningful local action (as per clare sholl), individuals won’t be willing to give up their lifestyles voluntary, the tories are not bothered, labour are cowards, the electoral system stops greens and LD to have a voice in parliament……. Nothing will stop the inevitable large scale destruction of all what is good and beautiful about this planet…. I fear we are kind of ‘doomed’.. (but good luck trying, even better: good luck proving me wrong)
Yeah let’s just stop intensive farming and build more houses on farming land.
Yeah right!!
The problem people have with climate change is that the people who preach to them still drive diesel cars , go on holiday aboard , use gas in there house. They ask for us to give up cars and not to have holidays aboard but it does affect them. I am sick to my back teeth with major news outlets and celebrities telling us we are doomed. In the 1970’s we was going into a ice age , in the 80’s acid rain 90’s ozone layer 2000’s climate change, today it’s global boiling also we now have ULEZ , CAZ and LEZ in the major cities which is a unfair tax on the poor. Many working families cannot afford a electric vehicle so they will be forced to pay between £8.00 to £12.50 per day to use there car for every day life.
The horse may have already bolted and a working committee won’t provide many answers although I welcome the initiative. Committee’s may be well intentioned but have a tendency to obfuscate, make recommendations, have lots of meetings and generally make people feel happy that “something” is happening. I wish it well but have my doubts that anything tangible will be achieved in the longer term. Follow the money if you want change.
Well the news this morning that hundreds of licences for gas and oil in the North Sea are being issued by the government. There is also a reverse of vehicle emissions policy. It is inevitable that the deadline for electronic cars will come and go in 2030.
Doubtless mitigating reasons will be given; energy security etc.
What’s that saying about.. You can fool all of the people some of the time.
Lichfield Climate Change Committee might as well stand down now!
I really appreciate everyone’s comments on the post. As I am Cllr Harvey-Coggins, I would like to offer you some answers. It has taken 4 years to set up the committee as we we’re only able to now Labour are the ruling group. We have made it a priority and we are brimming with ideas for our first meeting. I believe no matter how small, you can make a difference because if all those small people start shouting up and making a noise about what is important to us them the large companies will have to listen. I also know that if I sit back and do nothing, I will achieve nothing. I have to try. If we all do the same our imagination is the only boundary for what we can achieve.
It has all got to be twaddle as Sunak takes a private jet that works out 15 minutes quicker than the train saying his time is important all 15 minutes, presumably no one else’s time is important
@ Rosie Harvey-Coggins: Thank you for your commitment on this vital issue. Rishi Sunak’s increasingly pro-climate change policies mean local initiatives and individual action are more important than ever in the face of government failure.
Can you sort all the raised, dipped, cracked block paving with gaps that heels can get stuck in all around the city centre first please? Health and safety issues exist all over the vicinity. I am amazed a blue badger has not been upended.
@belleview – Just a little context for your conspiracy theorist examples… The talk of an ice age in the 70s did not have widespread scientific consensus, just a bit of media excitement. We did have a hole in the ozone layer, and a problem with acid rain. Both are now much smaller problems because there was widespread international action to do something about it. Sadly, it is a difficult problem, made all the more difficult by people with their heads deep in the sand.
I fear that in signing off a hundred new licences for oil and gas drilling, Sunak may well have signed the death certificate for the Tories, with the pathetic excuse of limiting imports, despite the fact that most of it will probably be exported. It is even proposed to use power from the new wind farm to supply the rigs, which would be hilarious if it wasn’t so sad. Local action takes on more significance given government back-pedalling on commitments, so please don’t deride local efforts.
How about people stop being so negative and we all do more- we can. We all need to consume less, and stop backing the problem by buying into it. Well done @cllrrosieharvey-coggins . Now let’s stop moaning about what others are “not” doing, using it as an excuse to do nothing and “be the change we want to see”
@Clare Whitehouse, While I admire your sentiment and good intentions, it is delusional to think that global problems can be solved at parish counci level. Worse, it deflects the energy away from the real seat of power where it should be aimed.
Three Green Party candidates put up for LDC council. NONE were elected. That’s how much the Lichfield population care.
If you are really capable of motivating people to that extent then you deserve a higher stage. This is a real issue not a media scare. It is writ large all across the world. If we love our children and grandchildren now is the time to act radically. Nature will be decisive if we procrastinate.