Huddersfield Friends of the Earth

Call for Huddersfield 100% clean energy target
Local environment groups call for urgent climate action within Kirklees plan

Supporters from HoTT, MASTT and Huddersfield FoE call for 100% clean energy target

A coalition of environment groups have submitted an early response to Kirklees Local Plan (Kirklees the Place to Grow), calling for the plan to include a much more ambitious and proactive strategy to address the urgent threat of climate change. The coalition, (which includes Holmfirth Transition Towns (HoTT), Huddersfield Friends of the Earth and Marsden & Slaithwaite Transition Towns (MaSTT)) is adding its voice to a growing global movement calling upon towns and cities to calling to commit to 100% clean energy by 2050* and has set up an online Avaaz petition to strengthen this call (Huddersfield: Go 100% clean https://secure.avaaz.org/en/campaign/Huddersfield_go_100_clean/ )

The groups’ 20 + page response to Local Plan consultation, covers such areas as energy, housing, transport and the economy and makes positive suggestions and strategies including annual emission reduction targets, which would help Kirklees meet the ambitious 100% clean energy target.

Janet Williams from Holmfirth Transition Towns (HoTT) commented:
“The next 15 years will be critical for making the urgent collective efforts needed to reduce CO2 emissions. The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has just issued its ‘final warning’ – saying that unless urgent action is taken NOW, the planet is facing catastrophic and irreversible climate change by the end of this century”.

Huddersfield FoE supporters on the steps of Huddersfield Town Hall

Anna Marie Byrne from Huddersfield Friends of the Earth commented:
“We believe that the urgent need to address climate change needs to be a central plank of the Kirklees Local Plan. We recognise that Kirklees Council is currently extremely financially stretched and our response addresses this, making a number of suggestions for ways in which funding issues could be creatively overcome.”

Jean Margetts from Marsden and Slaithwaite Transition Towns (MASTT) commented:
” We need an economic transformation on the scale of that witnessed during WW2, which will require cross-party co-operation and action within Kirklees Council and nationally. Kirklees should spearhead a powerful local authority response to climate change which would have a massive ripple effect nationally and internationally and help boost a thriving local green economy.”

To sign the ‘Huddersfield: Go 100% clean’ online petition go to:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/campaign/Huddersfield_go_100_clean/

Read the groups’ full response to the Local Plan – download pdf

NOTES

Existing targets
Kirklees annual CO2 emissions are over 2.6 million tonnes each year (Defra, 2006). These total emissions are recorded within three sectors: industrial and commercial, domestic and transport.
Kirklees has signed up to the LGA Climate Local framework and has set the following carbon reduction targets:

• To reduce carbon emissions arising from Council activities by 40% by 2020, from a 2005/6 baseline, and

• To reduce carbon emissions across Kirklees by 40% by 2020, from a 2005/6 baseline, in line with UK targets.

The most recent data shows that:
• the Council has reduced its emissions by 19% by 2012/13.
• District emissions were reduced by 22% by 2011

http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/you-kmc/deliveringServices/pdf/climateLocalUpdate2013_2014.pdf

The UK’s Climate Change Act sets a target to cut carbon emissions by at least 80% by 2050, with a minimum reduction of 26% by 2020. The European Council has endorsed the EU aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with to 80 – 95% in 2050 as part of reducing global emissions by half in 2050. –

Call for more ambitious targets
The coalition of local environment groups is calling upon Kirklees to follow the example of Denmark which has set even more progressive targets. See more at: http://www.rtcc.org/2014/02/13/danish-parties-back-40-carbon-reduction-target/#sthash.KYrlneJk.dpuf

The groups are calling upon Kirklees Council to show pioneering climate leadership by phasing out carbon pollution to zero by 2050, setting annual targets in the achievement of that aim.

The following targets are suggested:

• Cut CO2 emissions throughout the district by at least 3% each year. This follows on from previous targets set by Kirklees Local Area Agreement coordinated by the Kirklees Partnership.
• Commit to 100% clean energy by 2050 (entire energy supply including electricity, heating, industry and transport)
• Commit to 100% clean energy by 2035 (energy supply including electricity, heating, industry not including transport)
* Global campaign aims to inspire British cities to choose 100% clean energy
http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/jan/03/british-cities-clean-energy-global-campaign