Council directors’ body ADEPT has called on ministers to put a coherent policy and regulatory framework in place to support local authority efforts to tackle climate change.
Launching ADEPT’s climate change policy position, its new president, Darryl Eyers (pictured), said: ‘The challenges of climate change are undeniable and will have significant impact on how we travel, work and live, even on our health. To meet them we need to take immediate radical action.
‘To create change, we must have partnerships. As place-shapers, ADEPT members have significant powers to take action and influence culture change across our organisations, partners and suppliers. We make decisions on buildings, transport and waste, which together account for 40% of all emissions, making us uniquely placed to put the climate crisis at the heart of our work.
‘But, Government action, leadership and provision of resources is vital. To make the transition to a zero carbon economy, we need to have coherent national policies, robust regulations and strong regulatory powers.’
ADEPT said it wants the Government to enshrine the net zero principle in the Environment Bill, with the Office of Environmental Protection (OEP) given the powers to fulfil its remit, which should also include climate change.
ADEPT is pushing for net zero targets applied to all sectors of the economy and for all new homes and commercial buildings to be carbon net zero by 2025. It also wants the Government not to rely on international climate credits to meet its target.
Paula Hewitt, chair of ADEPT’s Environment Board said: ‘As a country, we cannot afford to outsource the problem if we want to demonstrate environmental leadership on a global scale. We have to drive investment in decarbonisation and support clean growth.’
She added: ‘Government support while critical, is just part of the picture. Alongside local authorities, public agencies across all sectors need to show leadership, as must Local Enterprise Partnerships and the business sector through their local industrial strategies.’
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