Local councils have put together a lot of declarations and policies – and one could be forgiven for being a little cynical about how realistic they are.
Exeter City Council, for example, has been under the eye of local investigative journalists for some time now:
Exeter Observer – Climate crisis
Councils, then, are clearly open to scrutiny – and their pronouncements and plans should evolve as new evidence and new demands happen.
On a more practical and immediate level, they also provide a lot of useful advice for citizens on what can be done.
Sidmouth Town Council is a key partner in the CAPS, with its webpage as the starting point for the carbon footprint calculator:
Climate Awareness Partnership Sidmouth – Carbon Calculator – Sidmouth Town Council
East Devon District Council has put together a strategy and an action plan – as well as good solid advice for residents and businesses – and is planning more:
Our vision is to become a carbon neutral council by 2040, working within a low carbon economy and lifestyle. This will be reflected in our travel, homes, businesses, visitor experiences and communities.
Our 5 year strategy and action plan shows how we will address our key priorities and how we will measure our progress over the lifetime of the strategy.
The County Council is the lead authority on these matters – and as such has a huge responsibility:
Devon County Council has declared a climate emergency. We have committed to facilitating the reduction of Devon’s carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050 at the latest and improving the environment’s and our communities’ resilience to climate change. We are leading a partnership to make a Devon Carbon Plan and a Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Adaptation Plan in response to the Devon Climate Emergency
The Council reports its carbon footprint each year and has a target and a plan to become net-zero carbon by 2030, including emissions from its purchasing of goods and services.
These pages provide hints and tips about how we can all play our part in addressing the climate emergency...