Published on Thursday, 19 September 2019 at 9:32:21 AM
The Shire of Denmark Council joined a growing number of local governments across Australia and the world by passing a Notice of Motion declaring a climate emergency at Tuesday night’s Council meeting.
Councillor Kingsley Gibson submitted the motion which proposed targets of a 50% reduction on current Shire emissions by 2030 and net zero emissions from all Shire operations and activities by 2050.
The motion will push for State and Federal Governments to drive stronger climate action to reduce emissions to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The Shire’s Sustainability Working Group will incorporate a detailed response to climate change into its Sustainability Strategy and related action plan as a matter of priority, with the aim of providing recommendations to council within 12 months to meet targets.
Cr Gibson said community input will be key going forward.
“Climate change has become perhaps the defining issue of our generation. It is incumbent on us to ensure that it does not define the futures of our children and grandchildren.
“There is a long way to go but by listening to our community and having them involved in finding the way forward, I am confident we can not only make a difference to the Shire’s environmental footprint, but also be a strong catalyst for change throughout our local community and beyond.
“We must act now with a clarity of purpose and resolve that we have not demonstrated on this issue to date. This motion is a first step towards demonstrating that resolve and purpose,” he said.
Shire President Ceinwen Gearon stated the Notice of Motion acknowledges the sense of urgency felt by many in the community, including Denmark’s young people.
“In March this year the young adults of Denmark came to the Shire requesting a declaration of a climate emergency. The future belongs to our youth and a number of councils across WA have recognised the urgency of our current situation.
“Cr Gibson’s motion acknowledges the wishes of our young adults and sets realistic and achievable targets for the Shire of Denmark to offset our impact,” she said.
Council acknowledged that Denmark is likely to be substantially affected by climate-change impacts, including sea level rise, heat waves, bush fires, climate migrants and refugees, rainfall decline, drought and floods.
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