Is Coventry City Council doing enough about climate change?
Climate Change Strategy
In 2008 Coventry City Council published its Climate Change Strategy which included 9 objectives. It has been successful in delivering at least one of these (see below).
But the status of several other objectives remains unclear, for example:
3. To ensure that every school in Coventry is registered to the Eco-Schools programme and that 50 percent achieve and maintain the Eco-Schools “Green Flag” status by 2020
5. To systematically implement a dynamic climate change community engagement plan that engages, informs and empowers over 20 per cent of the population of the city by 2020 to build a sustainable city
8. To increase green space and protect the habitats of plants and animals; and encourage the production of locally grown food
9. To improve the city’s resilience to a changing climate by working with partners to raise awareness of the risks resulting from climate change and encouraging infrastructure improvements
We are currently trying to find out what progress has been made on those.
Eco-Schools
Regarding objective 3, In 2017 Coventry Climate Action Network reported that
Coventry has 6 Green Flag Primary [Eco-Schools] but many more are invested in the [Eco-Schools] programme already and have some have Bronze and Silver flags
So far we have only been able to find one school, Holy Family Catholic Primary, which appears to still be taking part in the Eco-Schools programme.
City wide domestic and behavioural change carbon action plan
In March 2010 Coventry City Council in conjunction with the Energy Saving Trust local authority one-to-one support programme produced a City wide domestic and behavioural change carbon action plan (downloadable here). The plan aimed to
develop a strategic approach to the work the Council takes in order to realise reductions in area-wide carbon emissions, with the Council central to facilitating all activities. The action plan encompasses both the Council’s internal organisational activities and the crucial role of Council as community leader, partner to all.
The plan included may recommendations and actions. So far we have failed to find any reports of progress in implementing these.
Is Anybody Responsible?
In 2008 the Climate Change Strategy included the details of a Sustainable Communities & Climate Change Team. However this team no longer seems to exist.
In addition there does not appear to be any member of the Cabinet who has responsibility for implementing any of the recommendations in the documents listed above.
Council Successes
The council’s greatest success in reaching its Climate Change Strategy aims is that it has achieved a reduction in greenhouse gas emission of 46% between 2008/9 and 2017/8. They well exceeded their target of a 27.5% reduction by 2020 compared to the emissions in 2005.
In addition, the Coventry Recycling Club reported that in 12 months Coventry increased its recycling rate to 41%. They did not say which 12 months that was. They still have some way to go to meet the 50% target number 6: To achieve a waste recycling rate of 50 per cent for the city by 2020
More Information
Downloads on Home Energy and Warmth from City Council website
My view is that while there have been important achievements, the latest IPCC report of Oct 2018 outlines a significantly and structurally more serious situation than any policy and practice – from Uk National Government down – has previously considered.
Therefore, I believe that communities across the UK need to be turning to the leadership demonstrated by the University and City of Bristol, as well as others, and now including school children, in declaring a stage of climate emergency and committing to net zero emissions by 2030. The simple reality is that anything less, is simply not sufficient.
This is something recognised by a student coalition at the University of Warwick, who are petitioning for a climate emergency recognition and that the university commit to the above timeframe for emission reductions.
If anyone has any interest in connecting with these agendas, I’d certainly be pleased to make connections. I think Coventry Council have the chance to play an historical and strategic role here.
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