Statement:

We the undersigned petition the council to:

1. Declare a ‘Climate Emergency’.

2. Pledge to make Wirral carbon neutral by 2030, taking into account both production and consumption emissions (scope 1, 2 and 3) Scope 1, 2 and 3 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol explained: https://www.carbontrust.com/resources/faqs/services/scope-3-indirect-carbon-emissions [Accessed 10.12.18]

3. Call on Westminster to provide the powers and resources to make the 2030 target possible.

4. Work with other governments (both within the UK and internationally) to determine and implement best practice methods to limit Global Warming to less than 1.5°C.

5. Continue to work with partners across the region to deliver this new goal through all relevant strategies and plans.

6. Report to Full Council within six months with the actions the Council will take to address this emergency.

Justification:

We the undersigned are petitioning Wirral Council because:

1. Humans have caused irreversible climate change the impacts of which are being felt around the world. Global temperatures have increased by 1°C from pre-industrial levels. Atmospheric CO2 levels are above 400 parts per million (ppm). This far exceeds the 350 ppm deemed to be a safe level for humanity.

2. In order to reduce the chance of runaway Global Warming and limit the effects of Climate Breakdown, it is imperative that we reduce our CO2eq (carbon equivalent) emissions from their current 6.5 tonnes per person per year to less than 2 tonnes as soon as possible.

3. Individuals cannot be expected to make this reduction on their own. Society needs to change its laws, taxation, infrastructure, etc., to make low carbon living easier and the new norm.

4. Carbon emissions result from both production and consumption.

6. Our current plans and actions are not enough. The world is on track to overshoot the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C limit before 2050.

7. The IPCC’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C, published in October, describes the enormous harm that a 2°C rise is likely to cause compared to a 1.5°C rise. Limiting Global Warming to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society, the private sector and local communities.

8. Councils around the world are responding by declaring a ‘Climate Emergency’ and committing resources to address this emergency. This includes 21 councils and 1 authority in the UK (as of the 1st of February 2019)

References:

1. Fossil CO2 & GHG emissions of all world countries, 2017:

http://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/overview.php?v=CO2andGHG1970-2016&dst=GHGpc [Accessed 05.02.19]

2. World Resources Institute: https://www.wri.org/blog/2018/10/8-things-you-need-know-about-ipcc-15-c-report

[Accessed 05.02.19]

3. The IPCC’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5ºC, pub 6/10/18: : https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sr15/

[Accessed 05.02.19]

4. Cross-party support for Bristol Climate Emergency measure:https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/bristol-declares-climate-emergency-and-pledges-to-become-carbon-neutral-by-2030/

[Accessed 05.02.19]

5. Green Party Bristol. (2018) Greens declare a Climate Emergency and bring Bristol’s CO2 emissions target forwards 20 years. Available at: https://bristolgreenparty.org.uk/news/greens-declare-a-climate-emergency-and-bring-bristols-co2-emissions-target-forwards-20-years[Accessed 05.02.19]

6. Climate emergency declarations in 297 councils cover 25 million citizens https://climateemergencydeclaration.org/climate-emergency-declarations-cover-15-million-citizens/ [Accessed 05.02.19] (Show truncated justification text)