Agenda item

Motion Submitted by the Green Party Group - Empowering Trafford to take Climate Action

 

This Council acknowledges that in order to tackle the climate crisis we must empower residents and council officers to take action. In order to enable everyone to act with sufficient urgency, the Council’s procedures must be better aligned with its priorities.

 

The Council has also learned about dealing with crises from the pandemic and lessons learnt from Covid can give examples of how council systems can treat the climate emergency as an emergency.

 

This Council resolves to:

 

-      Emphasise urgency in the language we use around the climate. Where possible the Council, its Councillors and officers should choose the language of ‘climate crisis’ or ‘climate emergency’ – not the more passive ‘climate change’ or ‘global warming’.

 

-      Carry out a case study on the way that the community hubs were created, in a nimble and effective way at a crucial stage in the pandemic. See what lessons can be learnt for the climate crisis response in terms of how the Council can act quickly and with impact. Report back on what lessons can be learnt in terms of creating an urgent and nimble response to a crisis.

 

-      Events and buildings: ensure that alongside accessibility information, council building and events highlight how to access them by walking / cycling / using public transport. Currently the Town Hall part of the website only talks about parking options, despite being on National Cycle Network route 55, and extremely near to Old Trafford tram and several bus stops.

 

-      Highlight the Council’s climate emergency web pages on the front page of the Council’s website. This will enable residents to easily find information on what the Council is doing. It will also raise awareness the urgency of the crisis by highlighting it to everyone who comes to the council’s home page.

 

-      To review our HR policy in respect of dress codes. These need to explicitly support staff and officers who chose to commute or travel for work by active or public transport. Too often spoken or unspoken assumptions about what looks professional stop people using active or public transport when they would otherwise like to.

 

-      In advance of COP26 to add our voice to calls for a joint local and national government task force on reaching ‘net zero’ emissions. This partnership could set regulations, benchmarks and targets and create long-term funding mechanisms to enable local communities to decarbonise whilst remaining resilient and sustainable.

 

-      Write to Alok Sharma MP, President for COP26 , the Prime Minister and the Leadership Board of the LGA informing them of our support for a joint Local/National Government Climate Change Partnership Taskforce and asking for one to be established as soon as possible.

Minutes:

It was moved and seconded that:

 

“This Council acknowledges that in order to tackle the climate crisis we must empower residents and council officers to take action. In order to enable everyone to act with sufficient urgency, the Council’s procedures must be better aligned with its priorities.

 

The Council has also learned about dealing with crises from the pandemic and lessons learnt from Covid can give examples of how council systems can treat the climate emergency as an emergency.

 

This Council resolves to:

 

-      Emphasise urgency in the language we use around the climate. Where possible the Council, its Councillors and officers should choose the language of ‘climate crisis’ or ‘climate emergency’ – not the more passive ‘climate change’ or ‘global warming’.

 

-      Carry out a case study on the way that the community hubs were created, in a nimble and effective way at a crucial stage in the pandemic. See what lessons can be learnt for the climate crisis response in terms of how the Council can act quickly and with impact. Report back on what lessons can be learnt in terms of creating an urgent and nimble response to a crisis.

 

-      Events and buildings: ensure that alongside accessibility information, council building and events highlight how to access them by walking / cycling / using public transport. Currently the Town Hall part of the website only talks about parking options, despite being on National Cycle Network route 55, and extremely near to Old Trafford tram and several bus stops.

 

-      Highlight the Council’s climate emergency web pages on the front page of the Council’s website. This will enable residents to easily find information on what the Council is doing. It will also raise awareness the urgency of the crisis by highlighting it to everyone who comes to the council’s home page.

 

-      To review our HR policy in respect of dress codes. These need to explicitly support staff and officers who chose to commute or travel for work by active or public transport. Too often spoken or unspoken assumptions about what looks professional stop people using active or public transport when they would otherwise like to.

 

-      In advance of COP26 to add our voice to calls for a joint local and national government task force on reaching ‘net zero’ emissions. This partnership could set regulations, benchmarks and targets and create long-term funding mechanisms to enable local communities to decarbonise whilst remaining resilient and sustainable.

 

-      Write to Alok Sharma MP, President for COP26 , the Prime Minister and the Leadership Board of the LGA informing them of our support for a joint Local/National Government Climate Change Partnership Taskforce and asking for one to be established as soon as possible.”

 

It was moved and seconded as an amendment that:

 

“This Council acknowledges that in order to tackle the climate crisis we must empower and enable residents and council officers to take action. In order to enable everyone to act with sufficient urgency, the Council’s procedures must should be better aligned with its priorities in this area.

 

The Council has also learned about dealing with crises from the pandemic and lessons learnt from Covid can give examples of how council systems can treat the climate emergency as an emergency.

 

This Council resolves to:

 

-      Emphasise urgency in the language we use around the climate. Where possible the Council, its Councillors and officers should choose the language of ‘climate crisis’ or ‘climate emergency’ – not the more passive ‘climate change’ or ‘global warming’.

 

-      Carry out a case study on the way that the community hubs were created, in a nimble and effective way at a crucial stage in the pandemic. See what lessons can be learnt for the climate crisis response in terms of how the Council can act quickly and with impact. Report back on what lessons can be learnt in terms of creating an urgent and nimble response to a crisis.

 

-      Events and buildings: ensure that alongside accessibility information, council building and events highlight how to access them by walking / cycling / using public transport. Currently the Town Hall part of the website only talks about parking options, despite being on National Cycle Network route 55, and extremely near to Old Trafford tram and several bus stops.

 

-      Highlight the Council’s climate emergency web pages on the front page of the Council’s website Ensure that information on the Council’s progress on addressing the climate emergency can be easily accessed from the home page of the Council’s Website as part of the overhaul of the website content planned as part of the Trafford Digital Strategy 2020-2023. This will enable residents to easily find information on what the Council is doing. It will also raise awareness of the urgency of the crisis by highlighting it to everyone who comes to the Council’s home page.

 

-      To review our HR policy in respect of dress codes in line with professional advice from officers to. These need to explicitly support staff and officers who chose to commute or travel for work by active or public transport whilst ensuring the Council maintains a professional appearance in its customer facing work. Too often spoken or unspoken assumptions about what looks professional stop people using active or public transport when they would otherwise like to. To also ensure that information is available on the council intranet about the cycling and changing facilities available to staff.

 

-      In advance of COP26 to add our voice to calls for a joint local and national government task force on reaching ‘net zero’ emissions. This partnership could set regulations, benchmarks and targets and create long-term funding mechanisms to enable local communities to decarbonise whilst remaining resilient and sustainable.

 

-      Write to Alok Sharma MP, President for COP26, the Prime Minister and the Leadership Board of the LGA informing them of our support for a joint Local/National Government Climate Change Partnership Taskforce and asking for one to be established as soon as possible.

 

-       As there is still no formal relationship between local and national government on climate action, write to Alok Sharma MP, President for COP26, to request the establishment of a formal Local and National Government Climate Crisis Taskforce to collaboratively work together towards net zero emissions, as advocated by the Local Government Association and other bodies.

 

Following a debate on the matter, the amendment was put to the vote and declared carried. After a further speaker, the substantive Motion was then put to the vote and declared carried.

 

RESOLVED: That this Council acknowledges that in order to tackle the climate crisis we must empower and enable residents and council officers to take action. In order to act with sufficient urgency, the Council’s procedures should align with its priorities in this area.

 

This Council resolves to:

 

-      Events and buildings: ensure that alongside accessibility information, council building and events highlight how to access them by walking / cycling / using public transport. Currently the Town Hall part of the website only talks about parking options, despite being on National Cycle Network route 55, and extremely near to Old Trafford tram and several bus stops.

 

-      Ensure that information on the Council’s progress on addressing the climate emergency can be easily accessed from the home page of the Council’s Website as part of the overhaul of the website content planned as part of the Trafford Digital Strategy 2020-2023. This will enable residents to easily find information on what the Council is doing. It will also raise awareness of the urgency of the crisis by highlighting it to everyone who comes to the Council’s home page.

 

-      To review our HR policy in respect of dress codes in line with professional advice from officers to support staff and officers who chose to commute or travel for work by active or public transport whilst ensuring the Council maintains a professional appearance in its customer facing work. Too often spoken or unspoken assumptions about what looks professional stop people using active or public transport when they would otherwise like to. To also ensure that information is available on the council intranet about the cycling and changing facilities available to staff.

 

-      As there is still no formal relationship between local and national government on climate action, write to Alok Sharma MP, President for COP26, to request the establishment of a formal Local and National Government Climate Crisis Taskforce to collaboratively work together towards net zero emissions, as advocated by the Local Government Association and other bodies.

Supporting documents: