Tackling the Climate Emergency and Caring for our Environment
Full Version
Devon Labour believes strongly that urgent action must be taken to halt climate change and to work towards achieving net zero carbon emissions across the whole of the county by 2030.
Labour also believes that every effort must be made to protect our natural environment, to support bio-diversity, and to halt the decline in the decline in flora and fauna evidenced within the natural world.
To do this, we will:
- • Campaign for a consistent approach to carbon budgeting and ensure that the environmental impact is taken account of in every decision made by DCC
- • Support renewable energy initiatives using wind, biomass and water, and encourage community ownership as well as community and co-operative energy procurement to reduce household costs
- • Campaign for flooding mitigation strategies to protect vulnerable homes and businesses, and for adequate investment in flood defences
- • Encourage greater use of natural methods of flood mitigation where appropriate
- • Support good practice that encourages pollinators
- • Identify areas of land where community gardens and fruit growing areas can be established, and support the Transition movement in Devon
- • Invest in returning residential streets to safe environments where families can live, walk cycle work and play
- • Develop policies to reduce litter and fly-tipping, establish local resources-recovery parks which re-use and repair waste material and create green jobs, and provide for more items to be recycled at recycling centres
- • Continue to lobby government for a tax on packaging and encourage retail outlets to accept the return of non-recyclable materials
- • Use waste to create energy and to make re-usable products that benefit our community
- • Develop a road map for Devon County Council to achieve zero carbon emission by 2030
- • Pursue the principle of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle at every opportunity, and support the principles of the circular economy
- • Support investment in energy efficient homes, and in retrofitting of buildings that reduce energy consumption
- • Work with users and producers of fossil fuels to facilitate change to renewable energy
- • Promote local sustainable energy production
- • Campaign to protect Devon’s marine and natural environment and increase biodiversity, reduce habitat loss, and encouraging tree and wild-flower planting to increase bees and other pollinators
- Promote best practice in farming aimed at reducing the impact that agriculture has on climate change