The new Cumberland Authority has put out its Council Plan for consultation. There is an easy online form to fill in if you have comments (see www.cumberland.gov.uk). It seems to us that there is an overarching policy missing from its vision and its focus, and that is to deliver a low carbon Cumberland by 2030 and a zero-carbon Cumberland by 2037 inline with the current Zero-Carbon Cumbria Partnership targets.
If governments over past decades had been committed to tackling climate change, rather than seeing it as a bolt-on extra to their other policies, we wouldn't still be so reliant on fossil fuels and millions of people wouldn't be living in uninsulated homes terrified of the bills which they are going to be asked to pay this winter.
We don’t want Cumberland to fall into the same trap. From strong climate policies other benefits accrue – health benefits (people die in cold homes, and homes that are too hot), financial benefits (we don’t have to pay for extra heating or cooling), employment benefits (more people would be employed in public transport, retrofitting current houses with renewable technologies and insulation), wildlife benefits (we aren’t rendering current habitats uninhabitable and causing extinctions), mental health benefits (eco-anxiety is a major factor in young people’s mental ill-health).
There are some things only national governments can do. The cost of living crisis is real and imminent, The Green Party calls on government to return the price cap to October 2021 level and make money available for a nationwide home insulation scheme and large-scale investment in renewable energy. The longer the government delays on this, the longer it will put the UK at the mercy of volatile energy prices and climate damaging fossil fuels. We also urge government to nationalise the big five energy retailers to stabilise the market.
Local authorities have been starved of cash for years, and will suffer, just as households do, from rising energy costs, so local authorities need to be properly funded and given the autonomy to make the best decisions for their local communities. But we do need to start by having the right vision and focus. So, if you agree with us, make it your priority to respond to the Council Plan this weekend (deadline for responses Monday).
Cllr. Jill Perry
Cumberland Authority Council Plan
