Manchester Council declares Climate Emergency

Manchester City Councillors have put forward the notion to declare a climate emergency and achieve a carbon neutral city by 2038. 
Member of Youth Parliament, Ishaa Asim addressed the meeting by quoting the environmental activist Greta Thunberg,

“The bigger your carbon footprint the bigger the responsibility.” 

Proposed by Councillor Annette Wright, and backed by several others, the notion includes the development of an action budget plan by 2020, ensure councillors receive carbon literacy training and a review of all policies to ensure the partner of a zero carbon city is achieved within 12-years. 

Councillor Annette Wright stated in a Twitter video,

“I am calling for a climate emergency to be declared in Manchester. I’ve put this motion forward because it is the most important issue that my constitutes have been rising with me.”  The meeting comes two days before the Young People’s Climate Action Summit which will be held on Friday 12 July in Whitworth. 

According to Manchester City Councillors website, “The Summit, which has been organised with support from the Manchester Climate Change Agency and the Council, will give children from schools across the city the opportunity to express their views on how climate change should be tackled and challenge councillors on the actions they are taking to ensure that the city meets its ambitious 2038 zero-carbon target.”

It also states the intention to, “Encourage involvement in all wards by April 2020 through meetings as part of the Our Manchester strategy, to identify residents and partners who want to be actively involved in achieving the target, with provision for those who cannot attend. Ensure ward plans contain specific, measurable, achievable steps.” 

Since the Extinction Rebellion London shut down protests in April, the Government has been pressured to make climate change a higher priority. 

A demand of the protest was to reduce carbon emissions to a net of zero by 2025.

Over the last 30-years greenhouse gases in the UK have dropped by 44% and the Government’s current aim is to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050 and eradicate the need for coal by 2025. 

At 11:00, the City Councillor officially declared a climate emergency after the motion was unanimously passed. 

With the current political awareness of young people, climate change has been pushed to the forefront of debate and the action today of Manchester City Councillor may just be the beginning.