West Oxfordshire Climate Action Plan Briefing and Workshop

WEST OXFORDSHIRE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN BRIEFING AND WORKSHOP

What is the most important issue of our time? 

Thinking beyond Covid and Brexit, it must be Climate Change. 

In May of this year 443 out of 446 respondents to the West Oxfordshire District Council consultation on the topic said Climate Change was a priority that needed addressing.[1]

At the end of October West Oxfordshire District Council published its Carbon Action Plan [2] in answer to the Climate Change Emergency that was declared by the council in June 2019. Whereas we welcome any step to reduce the rate of climate change and any preparation for addressing the impact of its inevitable consequences, this plan falls short of what the District needs.

The plan primarily addresses what the council, as an organisation, will do to reduce its own carbon footprint. By now, after more than 16 months, the Council should have a much clearer idea of what they should be doing to assist the whole district to reduce its contribution to climate change emissions. 

It may be that the Climate Change Strategy, that the Council plans to have ready by the end of the year, will be more comprehensive. However, we need to make ourselves ready to challenge any shortcomings in the plans, so that when it is considered by the Council in the new year we can get firm commitments that will make a real difference.

To help us prepare, we have invited Julian Dean, the National Green Party’s Climate Officer, to give us a briefing and lead a workshop on Thursday 26^th November at 7.30 pm.  In that meeting we will address:

• What exactly should a local Climate Action Plan look like?
• How does West Oxfordshire District Council’s newly-published action-plan match up?
• what we should celebrate?
• what more should we be pushing for?

If you want to know the answers to any of those questions or if you have questions of your own, especially if you want to work with us to address climate change issues locally why not join us in this workshop. We really need your input.

Register today and we will send you access details nearer the date..

[1] https://www.westoxon.gov.uk/environment/climate-action/climate-action-and-what-we-are-doing/

[2] https://www.westoxon.gov.uk/media/tslaufqh/carbon-action-plan.pdf