WAVERLEY Borough Council has officially declared a climate emergency, committing the council to regard climate change as a serious threat that requires urgent action to reduce carbon emissions and conserve biodiversity.

Councillors attending the full council meeting yesterday (September 18) voted to adopt the motion, which sets out the council’s aim to become carbon-neutral by 2030.

To help achieve this ambitious target, it will accelerate its efforts by introducing greener buildings, transportation and energy.

Waverley joins a growing number of local authorities and central government in adopting a carbon-neutral target.

Across the council’s services, all strategic decisions, budgets and approaches to planning decisions will be aligned with the goal of achieving a shift to carbon-neutral.

It will develop a detailed action plan within six months to support the motion, which will set out key actions and milestones to achieve the target.

The council has acknowledged that it can’t just ‘go it alone’ and has committed to work with the local community, parish and town councils and all other relevant agencies to support making the entire area carbon-neutral by 2030 – as well as encouraging residents to do their bit to help create a greener, more sustainable and environmentally-friendly borough.

Achieving the target will also require additional powers, funding and other resources from central government, so the council will be seeking opportunities to make the case for these to local MPs, ministers and government agencies.

Councillor Steve Williams, portfolio holder for environment and sustainability, said: “Describing the current situation as an ‘emergency’ demonstrates how seriously we take the threat to our environment.

"All over the world, climate breakdown is causing serious damage, which impacts on people and ecosystems – from rising sea levels, shrinking glaciers and dying coral to increasingly severe flooding, droughts, hurricanes and other extreme weather.

“The 2018 Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report concluded that we have just 12 years to act on climate change, to keep global temperature rises below 1.5 degrees Celsius. The science behind global warming is indisputable.

"It’s real, it’s here and it’s long past the time to stop talking; we need to start taking serious action.”