The Independent Green councillor for Ryde East, Michael Lilley has confirmed to OnTheWight that he plans to bring the Climate Emergency debate back to county hall.
Yesterday (Wednesday) MPs joined local authorities and universities around the country to approve a motion to declare an environment and climate emergency.
Motion delayed until July
Cllr Lilley has been working with Conservative councillor, Steve Hastings, on the wording of the motion which calls on the Isle of Wight council to commit to urgent action to reduce carbon emissions on the Island.
Due to the European Elections and purdah rules, the motion won’t be heard until July.
Seeking cross-party support
Cllr Lilley told OnTheWight,
“Our aim is to get cross party support and consensus on the issue. Both of us, even from different political spectrums do believe in the adverse affects of climate change and the need to declare a climate emergency on the Island.
“I will be proposing the motion and Steve will be seconding it. “
Consulting with experts
Cllrs Lilley and Hastings will be using the time between now and the full council meeting in July to consult further with a range of local groups about positive ways to tackle local and national issues regarding the environment and climate change.
Cllr Lilley finished by saying,
“The Isle of Wight is fortunate to have so much environmental expertise to tap into regarding this urgent and lifechanging issue.”
The rise of Extinction Rebellion
In January over 200 Islanders marched through the streets of Newport to deliver a letter from the Isle of Wight branch of Extinction Rebellion to council leader Dave Stewart, calling on the council to declare a Climate Emergency.
In the next full council meeting when he was asked whether the Isle of Wight council would commit to becoming
carbon neutral by 2030, the leader replied by talking about air quality, leaving those looking on baffled.
IWC refuse to declare Climate Emergency
When Extinction Rebellion took the streets again in March (picking up another 100 residents, organisers say), they confirmed they’d still not received a response from the council leader.
A week later the IWC stated they would not declare a Climate Emergency due to ‘other priorities’.
Leader: ‘Climate extinction, emergency everything’ is ‘un-evidenced’
At the March Scrutiny Committee, Leader of the Isle of Wight council, Dave Stewart, said he’s “done some research” on the IPCC special climate emergency report, but believes the ‘climate extinction, emergency everything’ position is “un-evidenced”.
March through Newport
This Saturday (4th May) Islanders concerned about the effects of climate change will take to the streets again to show their support for the Extinction Rebellion movement.
Those wishing to take part or find out more should meet in St Thomas’s Square, Newport from 12.30pm.
Image: © Chris Jones
