A new Climate Change Commission for St Helens Borough will be created that brings together different sectors to tackle climate change in the borough.
At a full council meeting before the Covid-19 pandemic hit Councillor Uddin put forward a motion calling on St Helens Borough to recognise the climate emergency the world faces and the council has pledged to hit a zero carbon status by 2040 to address the impact climate change is having on the borough.
The commission will be made up of a mixture of public and private organisations working alongside the voluntary and third sectors as an independent board who will help to guide the whole borough towards zero carbon emissions by 2040.
With an independent chairman leading the commission it will have the ability to influence and inform all sectors on future policy decisions which will have a positive impact on St Helens Borough’s environment.
Labour Councillor Andy Bowden, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, said: “As a council we have already committed to gaining zero carbon status by 2040 and we plan to do this in a range of collaborative ways including by using 100 per cent clean energy, increasing recycling, making sure all policy and decisions take into account their carbon impact. To help us as a council we will be recruiting a dedicated climate change officer who will work on these and much more.
“But we know that there needs to be a greater collective effort across our communities as this is an issue every organisation faces as we see the impact climate change is already having on our borough. The commission is the ideal way we can work as one borough to make these changes and highlight what works well and share experiences. We are fortunate that we have many organisations already making positive impacts on our environment, and with projects like Glass Futures which will be a world industry leader in green technology in the glass industry, it is our chance to show that St Helens Borough is a place for green innovation. The Climate Change Commission will be at the forefront of supporting that vision.”
Labour Councillor Mancyia Uddin, set to be the Council’s first Climate Change Champion, says: “I’m really thrilled at the announcement of our Borough’s first Climate Change Commission. I’ve been pushing for this for a long time and couldn’t be happier that it’s finally coming to life.
The partnership is going to be a great foundation for us to work collaboratively with other organisations and businesses in the Borough and I’m very excited to work along Stephen Sykes in co-chairing this.
Tackling climate change has always been about collective action and I’m delighted that we are playing a part in this locally for our Borough and for our communities.”
Cabinet approved the plan to create the commission and proposals for the commission will build up to its first meeting in late spring.
