Last year, a landmark report by the United Nations warned that, unless urgent action is taken, the opportunity to avoid the worst effects of climate change will be missed.
The Climate Change Plan Scotland 2018 set out the continuing actions of Scottish Government to ensure Scotland meets the climate challenge. Following on from this, Scotland became the first country to declare a climate emergency in early 2019 and the Climate Change Bill 2019 set a challenging national target for Scotland to be Carbon Neutral by 2045.
The City of Edinburgh Council recognises the vital role of local government in addressing climate change and in May formally declared a climate emergency and committed to becoming a carbon-neutral city by 2030.
Edinburgh recently joined cities and nations all over the globe in announcing decisive action to tackle the climate emergency, setting the capital the ambitious target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
A raft of immediate steps and short term Council actions were mapped out and approved by Councillors at a special meeting of the Policy and Sustainability Committee last month.
Meanwhile the Council and Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation (ECCI) are progressing plans to establish an Edinburgh Climate Commission. The Commission will spearhead the city’s medium and longer term response to the climate crisis, with a major conference and youth summit in development for early 2020.
Now, a new citywide survey has been launched to gauge Edinburgh residents’ views on climate change and to raise awareness of what actions individuals can take to make a positive difference for the environment.
The Edinburgh Talks Climate Citizen Survey is the first stage in a major public consultation to help fully involve the people of Edinburgh in delivering a greener, healthier, fairer city for future generations.
Council Leader Adam McVey said: “We’ve signed up to achieve a net-zero position by 2030 and are now working on the actions required to get us there. It’s going to require big changes to the way we live and work for all of us to make that a reality.
“We’re now starting a proper dialogue with everyone in the Capital, to find out what they think about the issue and what positive changes they might consider making in their daily lives to join the collective drive to improve the situation. This will help us identify what the best actions are in driving down our carbon footprint. Everyone has a stake in this, so please make your voice count.”
Depute Council Leader Cammy Day said: “This is about quality of life, about making our city as sustainable and fair as possible, for everyone’s benefit. We know people care about this, deeply. It’s not something one person, organisation, government or business can tackle on their own, but if each one of us does whatever he or she can to contribute to a better future for Edinburgh and for the planet, together we can make a real difference.”
Jamie Brogan, Head of Innovation & Skills at ECCI, said: “The need for collective commitment to change is critical to meeting these ambitious targets. We know that translating policy and targets into action on the ground takes buy-in and engagement from the people most affected.
“The Edinburgh Climate Commission will be representative of those who have a role in changing our city, including citizens and communities, and businesses alongside public and third sector organisations.”
The Edinburgh Talks Climate Citizen Survey is now live on the Council’s Consultation Hub – have your say.
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