It is good news that the new DDC team heeded the request we Greens made on 19 July 2023 to support the Climate & Ecology Bill. On Wed 18 Oct 2023 eighteen DDC councillors voted to support the Bill, on behalf of our district, so the agenda item passed. The Bill was presented in Parliament, first by Caroline Lucas MP (Grn) then by Olivia Blake MP (Lab).
Our local Green parliamentary spokesperson Christine Oliver, pointed out in July, “There is a gap between what is currently being delivered—and what the Government needs to do to act in line with the latest science.
The Climate and Ecology Bill, or CE Bill, would:
- Provide a clear, joined-up plan—the crises in climate and nature are deeply intertwined, requiring a plan that considers both together. Reduce UK emissions in line with the Paris Agreement—ensuring that UK emissions are reduced rapidly, for the best chance of limiting warming to 1.5°C.
- Halt and reverse the decline in nature—setting nature measurably on the path to recovery by 2030, as agreed at COP15.”
The gap has only grown since July 2023 given the alarming retreat by Sunak and Conservative front bench on commitments made to UK Climate Change Committee, denounced by moderate MPs Sharma and Skidmore.
Your local Green Party continues to push for real, determined action within our Dover district; to reverse the decline in nature and wildlife; to reduce fuel poverty and make homes, new and old, zero-carbon; to mitigate the effects of the extreme weather events we have started to see here.
Our proposals for a much better Local Plan were accepted, so our spokesperson Sarah Waite-Gleave will be speaking on 12 of the 20 days of the Planning Inspectorate hearings that start on 14 November.
People tell us they hope the new DDC team will get round, sooner rather than later, to acting on our second request to DDC in July for a more inclusive, publicly-responsive DDC Climate Change Project Advisory Group. It is a DDC committee that hasn’t met in seven months.
Christine Oliver and Sarah Waite-Gleave
Dover and Deal Green Party