Dear Ministers Fahnbulleh and White,
As councillors we are keen to think global but act local. We know the role we will play is crucial to tackling the climate and nature emergencies – we have powers over at least one third of emissions and significant influence over decisions affecting land use and ecological functions.
We want to contribute to the government’s clean air and clean energy goals and work to halt the decline of species, working with our communities to reach these national goals. We know that action on climate and nature will improve the health of our residents, improve access to green transport, clean up our air and water, and create jobs. Working on these issues can boost and create more resilient local economies.
But we have been blocked by inadequate resources, short term funding and a lack of guidance on the action we should take.
Right now, the government has the perfect opportunity to support our work, by including a climate and strengthened nature duty in The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.
We know this can work. As well as Scotland, Wales and Northern Irish councils, since its inception, the Greater London Authority was set up with climate and nature duties. Embedding these duties within the Bill would level the system, ensuring that all authorities can incorporate climate and nature action into decision making.
There is a strong duty within the Devolution Bill that could be replicated for climate and nature: the duty to improve the health of people in the area and reduce health inequalities. Creating a similar duty for climate and nature would have profound and positive implications for climate action, nature recovery and local communities and ensure that devolution can become a powerful driver of sustainable, climate-ready, nature-positive communities.
This is a redeclaration of our intent to tackle the climate and nature crises. We know that our cumulative efforts can help build the zero emission and nature rich communities that we will need to thrive. We are asking that the Government shows its support for local climate and nature action by introducing a climate and strengthened nature duty, alongside the necessary resources, in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.
Supported by we, the undersigned local leaders, mayors and councillors:
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