Mole Valley Council backs LibDem motion on Climate Change
At the full Council meeting on 16th July, Lib Dem Cabinet Member Claire Malcomson proposed a motion that the Council requests in writing that the Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero:
1. Puts in place a national climate action framework with policy, regulatory, and investment certainty up to 2050, with set milestones and a clear role for councils leading local climate action.
2. Provides all councils with adequate and stable core funding to take forward climate action across their own services; multi-year place-based funding allocations to lead decarbonisation across their areas and support to secure greater private investment into local climate action.
3. Introduces a local climate action test ensuring all government policy and funding decisions – from housing to skills - contribute to local climate action.
Claire’s speech identified the critical role that local Councils can play in reducing carbon emissions but stressed the need for greater clarity on the funding local Councils can expect from the Government to move forward with projects such as solar panels on local car parks. The motion enables Mole Valley to add its voice to those of other Councils and Local Government bodies who wrote similarly to the previous Government.
Claire also confirmed that the newly elected Liberal Democrat MPs for the area will be closely engaged in supporting this request.
The motion received broad support from a number of Councillors across the Chamber and was eventually approved unanimously.