The district council’s recent failure to declare a climate emergency was a
missed opportunity. The threat we face is extremely serious, and needs greater
attention at every level of government.
It now looks certain that 2023 will be the hottest year on record. Life-
threatening weather events such as storms, floods, droughts and wildfires are
more frequent, longer lasting and more severe than ever. And emissions of
greenhouse gases remain dangerously high.
Our council could have followed the example of hundreds of others – many of
them Conservative-led – and distanced themselves from the cynical
backpedalling of national government. They could be building on what has
already been achieved, with a clear plan to take those measures further and
faster.
A declaration of the kind suggested by Councillor Lindop is not a mere ‘gesture’.
It emphasises the urgency of the climate crisis, sets out the direction of travel,
and brings together the various strands of the council’s work. The result would
be greater clarity and transparency for everyone in Sevenoaks district.
It’s not too late for us to deal with this emergency, but time is not on our side.
When the issue is debated again, I hope that all our councillors will do the right
thing.
Paul Wharton
Source: Sevenoaks Chronicle (p.12), 14/12/23