See here for the background to this and a list of emails of Coventry City Councillors.

Dear Councillor,

I understand the following motion is due to be put to council on Tuesday 18th June regarding climate change:

“This Council confirms its commitment to addressing the issue of climate change and recommends the course of action that we are currently undertaking to respond to the climate change emergency”

I am happy that the council is finally recognising there is a climate emergency, but I believe that to carry on with business as normal is a totally inadequate response to the current situation.

Climate change will have a significant impact on our city and requires the Council to show leadership in taking action, thereby setting a good example to citizens who also need to take action to reduce their own carbon footprints.

There are many no-cost or low-cost actions that the council can take immediately to help mitigate the impact of climate change and demonstrate the council’s commitment to really addressing the issue. For example by:

• Installing recycling bins within the Council House;
• Holding regular public meetings at which citizens can meet with councillors and council staff to discuss what you are already doing to reduce carbon emissions and generate ideas for future actions;
• Showing support for businesses, schools and institutions who take action to reduce their emissions by publicising their achievements and awarding monthly certificates or other token of success;
• Engaging the enthusiasm and energy of the many citizens and young people who care passionately about climate change by nominating them as Coventry Climate Ambassadors;
• Encouraging people to take action within their own communities for example by holding competitions and parties;
• Supporting the Coventry Climate Conference that is currently being planned by a group called Coventry Transformed (https://covcan.uk/coventry-transformed/);
• Supporting local organisations and networks that are already taking action by adding the city’s logo to their websites for example https://covcan.uk;
• Working with City of Culture to start a project that will demonstrate to the world that Coventry is taking positive action on climate change.

There are many other such things the council could do in the short term, and I recommend that you propose to modify the motion with some of these ideas.

But at a minimum I believe it should include the following:

This Council hereby declares a ‘Climate Emergency’ that requires urgent action.