CLIMATE change was hot on the agenda as Carlisle councillors met last night.

Environmental campaigners were camped outside the Civic Centre prior to the meeting, to call on action from the council towards its climate charge motion it passed in March.

Councillor Colin Glover’s motion committed to:

  • Declare a climate change emergency, to Make the Council’s activities net-zero carbon by 2030
  • Ensure all strategic decisions, budgets and approaches to planning decisions are in line with a shift to zero carbon
  • Support and work with all other relevant agencies towards making the Carlisle district Zero Carbon
  • Achieve 100 per cent clean energy across Carlisle City Council’s full range of functions by 2030
  • Convene a citizens assembly in 2019 to oversee and feed into the development of action plans and budgets

The campaigners felt that the council has been too slow to implement the motion.

Residents and councillors both put forward questions about the progress being made, including by the councillor for Denton Holme and Morton South, Ruth Alcroft.

She said: “Will the portfolio holder for finance, governance and resources outline what discussions have taken place within the executive to prioritise funding making this council’s operations carbon neutral by 2030?

“I wonder, might we set aside some funding to set up a citizen’s assembly?”

Deputy leader of Carlisle City Council Gareth Ellis, along with the portfolio holder for environment and transport, Nigel Christian, emphasised that the proposal would be considered alongside ongoing works of the recently established climate change group.

Questions were also put forward by environmental campaigners, one said: “The city council declared a climate emergency and committed to a whole range of actions to take forward to action on climate change.”

She added: “Time is now very, very short.”

Cllr Christian said the process of working towards becoming carbon neutral was ongoing.