Real Action on the Climate Emergency

Cambridge City Council, Cambridgeshire County Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council all declared climate and ecological emergencies in 2019. Cambridgeshire is one of the hottest parts of the UK, while globally 2023 was the hottest year on record and by a clear margin; a number of climatic tipping points, with multiple grave consequences, may soon be upon us. We must therefore continue to push for effective action appropriate to the scale of these threats. With international agreements on climate change falling far short of what is needed, work at a local level is more important than ever.

Climate justice and social justice are inextricably linked. The Green Party of Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire (GPCSC) endorses the Doughnut Economics model (the notion that society must meet everyone’s needs without exceeding the capacity of our natural resources to support us)⁴; we now want to see the concept fully honoured and acted upon. Put simply, the levels of growth proposed for the city and region in the coming decades go far beyond what the earth can support, not least where water is concerned (See Caring for our Rivers and Streams, Safeguarding Water Supplies and Addressing Flooding).

Green-led Councils would:

keep the linked issues of social justice and the climate/ecological emergencies at the heart of every decision;
encourage and support businesses and institutions in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire to adopt more ambitious net-zero commitments and implement actions to reach net-zero carbon by 2030 at the latest, in line with the Cambridge Climate Change Charter;
continue to put pressure on large institutions, including the public sector pensions fund and the local universities, to break their financial ties with the fossil fuel industry;
help to make Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire more resilient to the effects of climate change, for example by ensuring buildings remain habitable in extreme weather, and encouraging businesses to include weather extremes in their business continuity strategies;
take every opportunity to promote awareness of the benefits of, and support a shift towards, more plant-based diets, working together to this end with local businesses and co-operatives;
build on the “Green Transport Revolution” that will reduce overall traffic and accelerate the shift to electric vehicles by installing many more free or low-cost charging points, accessible to existing residents and standard in all new builds, and introducing appropriate safety regulations including clear guidelines on which vehicles can use which routes;
encourage landowners to prioritise biodiversity and sustainable agricultural practices;
continue to build on Cambridge’s achievements as a Sustainable Food City by promoting local sustainable food growing initiatives including local growers’ markets and community initiatives such as CoFarm⁵ and Cambridge Food Hub⁶, and work to provide sufficient allotment space to meet demand in existing and planned neighbourhoods.

⁴	https://www.kateraworth.com/doughnut/
⁵	https://www.cofarm.co
⁶	https://cambridgefoodhub.org