Issue - meetings

On a motion from Councillor Alastair Singleton, seconded by Councillor Richard Samuel, it was

RESOLVED that

This Council believes:

Man-made climate change is widespread, rapid, and intensifying, affecting every part of the globe. Since the second half of the 19th century, the release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from human activities has warmed the planet by 1.1C. Rapid reductions in GHGs are needed immediately otherwise limiting global warming to 1.5C or even 2C will be impossible. These are the stark conclusions from the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, released in August 2021[1]. The report presents the findings from years of in-depth work from over 200 scientists in 66 countries. It provided key evidence for the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), which was hosted by the UK Government in Glasgow from October 31st to November 13th 2021.

This year has already seen record extreme heat in both North America and Europe, the hottest July globally since records began, catastrophic floods in Europe and China, and raging wildfires in Siberia, Europe, and California. And this is with only 1.1C warming. It will get worse, but how much worse depends on how quickly GHG emissions are reduced.

It is estimated that the UK will be responsible for ~800 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2021[2]. We need mechanisms to reduce GHG use quickly. One potentially ‘game changing’ mechanism is carbon pricing, which could cover either carbon tax or an enhanced emissions trading scheme (ETS), covering all GHGs emitted in the provision of goods and services. The current UK ETS arrangement covers only around a third of industrial emissions and so falls some way short of an effective carbon pricing mechanism.

The moral and economic case for comprehensive carbon pricing lies in the ‘polluter pays’ principle:

·  Currently the costs of climate breakdown are not borne by the industries and activities that are causing the damage, but by people and communities coming under increasing pressure and danger.

·  Outdoor air pollution from fossil fuels causes 3 million deaths globally each year and up to 36,000 in the UK. [4]

·  Carbon pricing, set at the right level, will drive fossil fuel consumption out of the economy and promote investment in clean alternatives.

This year’s COP26 meeting in Glasgow failed to address an international carbon pricing framework, so the UK should introduce its own mechanism, including a carbon ‘border adjustment mechanism’ applied to goods imported into the UK to ensure that the GHGs emitted in their production are also subject to the pricing mechanism. A border adjustment mechanism would protect more cleanly produced UK made goods and incentivise other economies to lower emissions.

Carbon pricing would have a regressive effect in the UK, impacting the cost of transport fuel, electricity, heating, and food. Low-income households in the UK spend a greater proportion of their income on these carbon intensive goods. So, to ensure the fairness and equitability of a carbon pricing framework any inequality needs to be offset by a progressive mechanism of returning  ...  view the full minutes text for item 80

On a motion from Councillor Sarah Warren, seconded by Councillor Alastair Singleton, it was

RESOLVEDto recommend to Council on 18^th November 2021 that

This Council believes:

Man-made climate change is widespread, rapid, and intensifying, affecting every part of the globe. Since the second half of the 19th century, the release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from human activities has warmed the planet by 1.1C. Rapid reductions in GHGs are needed immediately otherwise limiting global warming to 1.5C or even 2C will be impossible. These are the stark conclusions from the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, released in August 2021[1]. The report presents the findings from years of in-depth work from over 200 scientists in 66 countries. It provided key evidence for the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), which was hosted by the UK Government in Glasgow from October 31st to November 13th 2021.

This year has already seen record extreme heat in both North America and Europe, the hottest July globally since records began, catastrophic floods in Europe and China, and raging wildfires in Siberia, Europe, and California. And this is with only 1.1C warming. It will get worse, but how much worse depends on how quickly GHG emissions are reduced.

It is estimated that the UK will be responsible for ~800 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2021[2]. We need mechanisms to reduce GHG use quickly. One potentially ‘game changing’ mechanism is carbon pricing, which could cover either carbon tax or an enhanced emissions trading scheme (ETS), covering all GHGs emitted in the provision of goods and services. The current UK ETS arrangement covers only around a third of industrial emissions and so falls some way short of an effective carbon pricing mechanism.

The moral and economic case for comprehensive carbon pricing lies in the ‘polluter pays’ principle:

·  Currently the costs of climate breakdown are not borne by the industries and activities that are causing the damage, but by people and communities coming under increasing pressure and danger.

·  Outdoor air pollution from fossil fuels causes 3 million deaths globally each year and up to 36,000 in the UK. [4]

·  Carbon pricing, set at the right level, will drive fossil fuel consumption out of the economy and promote investment in clean alternatives.

This year’s COP26 meeting in Glasgow failed to address an international carbon pricing framework, so the UK should introduce its own mechanism, including a carbon ‘border adjustment mechanism’ applied to goods imported into the UK to ensure that the GHGs emitted in their production are also subject to the pricing mechanism. A border adjustment mechanism would protect more cleanly produced UK made goods and incentivise other economies to lower emissions.

Carbon pricing would have a regressive effect in the UK, impacting the cost of transport fuel, electricity, heating, and food. Low-income households in the UK spend a greater proportion of their income on these carbon intensive goods. So, to ensure the fairness and equitability of a carbon pricing framework any inequality needs  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60