Barrow councillors will be urged to declare 'climate emergency'

The next meeting of Barrow Council tomorrow will see a motion put forward calling on members to acknowledge it is time to act to prevent climate change’s ‘far-reaching effects’ on people in the borough and across the country.

It will form part of a possible move by the council towards new green policies in an effort to reduce emissions and conserve the environment.

Barrow's Council would join more than 100 other local authorities across the country, as well the Government, to declare such an emergency.

The motion will be put forward by council leader Ann Thomson and councillor Anita Husband.

It says: “Council acknowledges that climate change is occurring, that man-made greenhouse gas emissions are a primary cause and that climate change will continue to have far reaching effects on people and places, the economy, society and environment in the borough, across the UK and across the world.

“Council now urges government to recognise this urgency and to work with local authorities, health services, businesses, consumers, farmers, educational institutions and all other interested bodies to reduce to net zero as quickly as possible our carbon emissions and their equivalents.”

Cllr Thomson said: "The government have declared a climate change emergency and council are being urged to do it too.

"We all have to do our bit to get our emissions down.

"That includes councils and residents."

She said a working group of council officers and councillors would be set up, tasked with coming up with green policies and producing a 'green action plan'.