‘Shame on You’, SCC Told After Backdown on Climate Change

Published on: 20 Mar, 2019
Updated on: 22 Mar, 2019

Placards in the public gallery protesting climate change motion at Surrey County Council. Photo LDR.

By Rebecca Curley (local democracy reporter) and Martin Giles

Environment campaigners stormed out of a Surrey County Council (SCC) meeting after a motion to set a target to tackle climate change was “watered down” and voted through.

The council had been asked to commit to its “duty” to limit the negative impacts of climate breakdown and to pledge to make Surrey carbon neutral by 2030.

The motion, put forward by SCC’s only Green Party councillor, Jonathan Essex, called for councillors to declare a climate emergency in the county and to take a leadership role with the boroughs and districts to look at ways to reduce production and consumption emissions.

But a last-minute amendment was put forward by the ruling Conservative party cabinet member for environment, Councillor Mike Goodman, at the meeting on Tuesday (March 19), stripping back the pledge and deleting any reference to duty, targets and commitment

Cllr Mike Goodman

Councillors criticised the council for “running in the opposite direction” from its responsibilities. People in the gallery heckled as the vote was passed through. The group of residents from across Surrey, including Dorking, Farnham and Godalming, grabbed their placards and walked out, shouting “Shame on you”.

Cllr Will Forster, Liberal Democrat, said the changes to a pledge or a commitment “negated” the proposals and ignored the two main key points. “This motion should have had cross-party support. It has had cross-party support elsewhere in the country. It’s clear there is an appetite to lead on climate change.”

Last Friday (March 15), schoolchildren around the country, including pupils in Guildford, walked out of classrooms protesting about climate change. Mr Forster said the children were leading the way. “The government, this council and the Conservatives aren’t. They are not just not following those children, they are running in the opposite direction.”

Cllr Penny Rivers, Liberal Democrat, said she receives more emails on the subject of climate change than anything else.

County Cllr Fiona White

Guildford West’s county councillor, Lib Dem Fiona White said: “I am proud to have seconded the original motion. I did so because it is clear that if we don’t take urgent action, the effects of climate change will be felt by all of us. The evidence is that it will cause more extreme weather events and increases in temperature.

“The Environment Agency has warned that we face an existential threat of water shortages because of the risk of longer, hotter summers which is in large part down to climate change. On the other hand, more frequent heavy rainfall has meant flooding, including in parts of Guildford.

“The effects of climate change will affect all of us and particularly those on lower incomes. It is for that reason that I am still very angry about the amendment put forward by the cabinet member. It ripped the heart out of the original motion and basically said that Surrey should keep doing more of the same.

“We are faced with a climate emergency and more of the same is simply not enough. Students from Guildford schools marched in our High Street to express their concerns. It is our responsibility to start to clear up the mess we are in and not to leave it all to the next generation.”

Cllr Julie Iles

County Cllr Julie Iles (Con, The Horsleys) added: “As Cllr Goodman pointed out, Surrey County Council are already working with our district and borough colleagues to reduce our impact on the environment.

“Guildford has LED lighting installed in its car parks, it has the first electric park and ride facility, 10% of the vehicle fleet is electric, recycling rates are 60% and a sustainable movement corridor will encourage cycling, walking and public transport.

“Surrey is also installing LED streetlights, reducing consumption by 60% and delivering a £4 million revenue saving for the taxpayer. We totally get the green agenda, and if I’m honest my recycling is rather better than that of my children, but the original motion asked SCC to commit to things which were not in our control.”

Cllr Goodman said the council was committed to climate change and listed initiatives SCC has approved, saying the council was “among the greenest in the country”.

He added they had secured more than £50 million of funding in the past three years to “improve the road network”. And he mentioned the county-wide single-use plastic strategy, adding that Surrey will be the first in the country to use only paper straws for consumers through its business.

Cllr Jonathan Essex

Jonathan Essex said: “Talk is cheap.” He added that Cllr Goodman was “clutching at paper straws” by thinking they were doing enough.  “We don’t need to debate whether climate science is real or not, we need to get on and do something about it.”

The amendment was backed in a vote with 52 members against 13 supporting it and the final motion pushed through with 49 votes to approve, 10 voting against and three abstentions.

Share This Post