Tunbridge Wells Borough Council

RESOLVED – Tunbridge Wells Borough Council recognises theoverwhelming weight of scientific evidence pointing to man-made climatechange and the harmful impacts this is having on natural habitats andecosystems, biodiversity and our lives in general. It notes the early workundertaken to date by the Council including efforts to promote active travel,increase recycling and the reduction of plastic usage in the Town Hall butunderstands it needs to do more. It recognises that it has a responsibility totake a firm lead on reducing the council’s and the wider borough’s carbonemissions and in furtherance of this responsibility agrees to: Declare its recognition of global climate and biodiversityemergencies; Set up a climate cross party task force to start a dedicated reportwithin the fiscal year with actions that it needs to take to addressthis emergency including how the wider community includingbusinesses, organisations and individuals can be encouraged tomake their own contributions to meeting a goal to make theBorough carbon neutral by 2030. This report will include a plan toconduct a green audit of all council services to ensure that weightis given to the environmental and sustainability impact as well ascost and which will inform the next iteration of the Council’s fiveyear plan; Ensure that forthcoming plans and strategies (including the LocalPlan and the next iteration of the Five-Year Plan) set out ways inwhich the Council can make its contribution to reduce carbonemissions, the degradation of the environment and combatingclimate change by agreeing an ambition to make the Council’soperations carbon neutral by 2030; Lobby central government to provide additional resources and togrant the necessary freedoms to deliver the above. Take steps with partners to proactively include young people in theprocess, ensuring that they have a voice in shaping the future bysetting up a Citizen’s Assembly as a way of also involvingresidents and businesses in the process as Climate change willhave implications for generations to come.”

— Full Council (Source)