There are many people, such as Dr Alastair Smith of the University of Warwick, who would like Coventry City Council to join the others in the UK and elsewhere which have declared a Climate Emergency. They see the benefit of this would be to raise awareness of the issue among the general public and give credence to those campaigners, such as students who go on strike, among their peers who often stigmatise them as being not socially acceptable outsiders who should not be listened to but ridiculed.

However George Duggins, leader of the the council and others refuse to do this.

Alastair writes:

I’d like to share that the Whoberley Ward labour party meeting, passed the following motion last week:

This group calls on Coventry City Council to:
– Declare a Climate Emergency
– Commit to its operations being carbon neutral by 2030
– To use the influence and powers available to the Council to encourage other organisations and institutions across the city to do the same

They have subsequently circulated the motion to other wards with the hope that they will also participate – pressing the City Council, who can then participate in the mounting pressure on the UK Central Government, and other large institutions in Coventry, such as the University of Warwick.

If anyone is a member of other groups, such as school committees, local ward societies etc, I strongly encourage you to present the case for a climate emergency and try to create interest in even a simple motion of solidarity with the science and a need for clear and ambitious targets.

Alastair is a Senior Teaching Fellow, Global Sustainable Development, University of Warwick. Contact him at A.Smith.21@warwick.ac.uk