The Climate Action Group was very active last year inputting to the consultation process run by Harborough District Council as they developed their Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP).
We submitted a detailed written response to the council's draft action plan, making several suggestions for how we felt it could be strengthened and improved.
As individuals many of us responded to the on-line questionnaire run by the council
Several of the group participated in a video conference run by the council to gain input from local groups interested in the subject
We also put together a pamphlet for the council to consider, setting out many specific projects and actions that we hoped they might be able to include in the plan
The CEAP was finally unveiled by HDC, when it was submitted to the Full Council for approval on December 13th. The good news is that the CEAP was adopted by the council, and the Cabinet will now be responsible for implementing and tracking progress with it. Unfortunately, most of the suggestions made by the Climate Action Group as part of the consultation were not included in the CEAP - in particular there are very few specific and measurable targets; there is little information about how the Cabinet will measure and report on progress; little thought seems to have been given as to how the concerns and needs of residents in the district will be addressed.
We ran a letter writing campaign during the first few weeks of 2022, in conjunction with Friends of the Earth, to encourage local people to voice their concerns about the CEAP to Councillor Phil King, Leader of HDC. Nearly 100 people responded, and if you were one of them - Thank You!
A key activity for the CAG during 2022 will be to continue monitoring what is happening with the CEAP, and hopefully working with the council to develop and strengthen it, by
Attending relevant council meetings
Writing to our councillors to let them know how we think they are doing (including things that we want to congratulate them on)
Working with council officers to get a better understanding of what HDC are actually doing behind the scenes, and offering our support where we can
Running specific campaigns to press for more action of priority areas of the CEAP
If you would like to get involved in activities like these, new members to the group are always welcome. We usually meet every other Monday, from 6pm - 7pm. Let us know if you are interested, and we'll make sure you get the necessary details.
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