With news of ever increasing natural disasters around the globe, heightened national concern over the causes and effects of global warming, and the declaration of a climate emergency at home in Kirklees, climate change has become a fact that we can no longer ignore. The KJSA chapter on climate change has been updated, both to outline the local implications of this global issue, and to help outline what we can all do to address it.
The chapter outlines practical recommendations for individuals, businesses, communities and organisations to reduce the impact our activities have on the climate. Fortunately, many of these actions also help with sustainable economic growth, and address other challenges highlighted in the KJSA; improving wider factors like air quality, transport, and housing in particular. The chapter also considers the risks a changing climate creates for Kirklees, focusing on the groups who are most likely to be affected by things like flooding and extremes of temperature. Although the best course of action is prevention, it is important to know what we can do to mitigate some of the likely effects of climate change, especially in light of the terrible flooding seen across Yorkshire in 2019.
A lot of excellent work is already being done; the chapter highlights examples of what assets are already in place. It is important that everyone supports efforts to tackle the climate emergency, not just because of the long-term impact of unchecked climate change on Kirklees, the UK, and the Earth, but because most of the things we can do benefit our own communities, businesses, and lives directly.
– Richard James
“Climate change is already happening and action to address it is now an emergency. Cases of extreme weather such as heat waves and rainfall are having consequences already in Kirklees with issues such as moorland fires and flooding in particular affecting the region.
“However, it’s not too late to prevent some of the very worst effects of climate change and we must act now. The council’s new long-term objective is to make Kirklees a carbon-neutral district by at least 2038.
“We can only do this with everyone on-board so I urge people to read our plan and think about what you can do to improve our climate.”
– Cllr Naheed Mather, Cabinet Member for Greener Kirklees
Read more about Kirklees Council’s Climate Emergency plan at www.kirklees.gov.uk/climateemergency
Kirklees Joint Strategic Assessment Blog 