A climate plan for us all to adopt
Kirklees Council Leader Shabir Pandor has called on the whole of the borough to get behind the authority’s new plan to tackle climate change.
Cabinet members back the Kirklees Climate Emergency action plan
Cabinet members backed the Kirklees Climate Emergency action plan on 12 November and it was presented to Full Council the following day (13 November). The aim is to make the borough completely carbon neutral by 2038.
What does the plan include?
The plan includes proposals to significantly boost the number of electric vehicles in the council’s fleet and for more public charging points to be installed across the borough. Parking will also be free for hybrid and electric vehicles across Kirklees in a bid to encourage more people to drive them.
Some other key actions to help Kirklees reach this target include; boosting local woodland through the White Rose Forest Partnership, establishing a Kirklees Climate Commission and Kirklees Green Charter and to hold a Kirklees Youth Summit on climate change.
This all forms Phase 1 of the council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan, Phase 2 will set out how Kirklees will become carbon neutral by 2038 and will be released next year.
Shabir Pandor, Leader of Kirklees Council, said:
“I’m really proud to say that we now have a plan to tackle climate change in Kirklees and to make the borough carbon neutral by 2038. This will be a top priority for us when we set our Budget for the next financial year.
As a council we take climate change, and our responsibility for tackling it, incredibly seriously. This is much bigger than politics, it’s the most important issue of our time and the right way forward for Kirklees is for us all to work together.
That’s why we set up a cross party working group to produce this ambitious plan and I’d like to thank them for all of their hard work and input in putting this ambitious plan together.
Climate change is finally where it belongs, at the top of the agenda. We owe thanks to a young person from Sweden, Greta Thunberg, for making this happen. She has inspired the world and has given young people a voice. As local leaders, we will continue to listen to the voices of our residents as we move forward.
Climate change is no longer just an agenda for activists and that is something we need to celebrate. A key part of our plans will be to ensure they benefit and work for everyone. We are investing in significantly more green council vehicles and public charging points for electric vehicles. However, we don’t want to leave people in, what I would call, green poverty.
Electric cars will help us lower emissions but they are not the answer for everyone. We have to also put some focus on more affordable forms of green travel so everyone can come with us on this exciting journey and our most vulnerable are not left behind.
Residents want to get involved and we will provide the leadership needed locally on this issue, whilst making sure that our hard working families and vulnerable individuals are not adversely affected and we need to poverty proof everything we do.
The work does not stop here, in fact it has just begun. What we now have is a foundation to build on but to make real change the whole of society must act and we all must become activists and make changes to our everyday lives to make an positive impact. So I urge everyone to get behind this plan so we can truly make a difference to the world.”
Can I read the Climate Emergency Action Plan?
To read the Climate Emergency Action Plan visit our website.
well said, Craig!! is the council going to take any notice I wonder. From replies here, its obvious that they are wrong, very wrong. Will they listen? More likely they will take no notice! its very disheartening. LISTEN!! ACT!! GET IT RIGHT!!! You are nowhere near to what you need to do. Save the planet? Improve your recycling and the rest. seek excellence, learn from and match other Councils’s efforts. so, any input from cllr Pandor, welcomed, in fact needed!!! show us you give a damn about the views of your constituents! Councillor?
48 hours seems reasonable! thanks for your reply now though. now i’m live i hope to join in a healthy discussion. i have encountered a problem. I entered text to reply to Heather Wicks comments but after I scrolled through the comments prior to mine, the text I had typed had disappeared??? any ideas what happened?
Hi Christine, sorry for the delay in moderation, your comments are now live. We aim to moderate within 48 hours.
how long does moderation take, please?
Our previous council accepted Glass, Yogurt/Margarine tubs and Tetrapak items in the recycling bins.
When we moved to Kirklees I was shocked to discover that Glass had to be taken to recycling points, it isn’t a big problem for us but must be for people without cars.
Your recycling policy seems to be stuck in the 20th century.
Your 1st priority should be to recycle as much as possible.
You should commit to matching the best councils in England.
A little extra on the council tax would be acceptable to me, as long as that money is ring fenced for recycling only.
It is great to see the Council and its’ leaders are starting to publicise the climate crisis and engage with the residents of Kirklees. I sincerely hope that the budget considerations will not be limited to the creation of the climate commission and further time consuming reports and will also make provision for immediate actions – for example support for schools, local action groups in education and effective information dissemination, adopting a rigourous and effective planning policy.
Of great concern is the apparent commitment to the continuation of the Cooper Bridge scheme – which applies false carbon accounting as justification. The scheme will destroy ancient woodland/habitat and increase traffic flow – the reduction in the congestion emissions is a smoke screen. Funds needs to be spent on effective measures to reduce car use within Kirklees – not allow them to flow more easily!
Also of great concern is the omission of any commitment to Kirklees Council opposing the proposed road improvements to the Leeds/Bradford Airport. This is a direct contradiction of the commitment the Council is purporting to make in its Climate Declaration, “Emergency” Action Plan and the Leaders’ call to “truly make a difference to the world”.
jan walters, Marsden resident
More trees and free parking for electric cars. Are you serious. That is nowhere near enough to save our planet. Do you jobs and do much much more!!!!!
Carbon neutral by 2038!! That won’t impress Greta Thunberg and it strikes me as rather a joke if there is indeed an ’emergency’ – we’ll all have fried by then!
It would help a lot if Kirklees was able to have a better recycling policy. I expect it would mean a large cost initially to provide the necessary machinery, but other councils are collecting used food waste and a greater range of plastics and in the long run that would reduce our carbon use and cost less. What about it, Kirklees. Lets be up with the best in the country.
hi, i left comments hours ago which was labelled as being moderated last time i saw it. please can i see it? there was nothing untoward in it. how can i find it? i took the time to answer . thanks
3rd comment. my second comment refers to Councillor Pandor’s report re climate change,. Christine Pattinson
I have attempted to read the full document so that I could adjust my comments made earlier if necessary.
unfortunately, this document is quite lengthy and I feel complex so that I admit I did not read it all. My comments remain
I would love to have solar panels fitted but because I don’t own my home I can’t take up any offers because they will only deal with the owners i.e. KNH. Can’t you do a deal with a reputable company so that solar panels can be offered to tenants, which would reduce their energy bills but also reduce the reliance on fossil fuels?
in a nutshell then, the council to purchase electric vehicles, poverty proof everything you do? how disappointing! where is the average family to get the money from to purchase an Electric family car?? Other green transport? for example? bicycles, Shank’s pony? so what exactly should we do councillor Pandor then? Are we to believe that what you propose will save the world? a drop in the ocean. better than nothing I suppose. I apologise
if the full document outlines a lot more than the Summary! because there needs to be much much more action NOW! Devoting a huge amount of cash to purchasing electric vehicles is worrying. How are you getting from a to b Councillor Pandor? you got a bicycle or some other green transport. we need guidance at grass routes level!! climate change is extremely frightening and I desperately pray that it isn’t too late to save our world!!