Yesterday I spoke to the rally outside the Council meeting, and Sean asked a question inside, concerning the importance of informing people about the Climate and Nature Emergencies. The Green Party proposed the motion “Power to the People,” which was passed by the Council, although some of it was amended.
In normal circumstances, Extinction Rebellion would have had a rally, but with the big rally to support the Green Party from the Labour threat to end the cooperation agreement already planned, we asked the Palestine Solidarity Campaign if we could speak briefly there.
This is what I said.
Extinction Rebellion Sheffield surveyed around 400 people in Sheffield about climate and nature risks. The results showed overwhelming concern: 96% had noticed more extreme weather and were concerned about nature loss. Meanwhile, 67% felt the public is not being fully informed about climate and nature risks, while 84% supported a televised public briefing on these risks, similar to those provided during the Covid pandemic. Sean will today be asking the Council to communicate the climate risks to all Sheffielders through their annual Council Tax mailing.
Labour’s planned coup in today’s Council Meeting is a result of Burnham’s fear of the Green Party. In Sheffield, Greens were the most popular party at the last local election, and Greens are serious contenders to Labour in Central, Heeley and Hillsborough constituencies. Labour are trying to discredit the Greens by calling them antisemitic, to distract from their own appalling policies of fueling a Genocide and fueling the Climate Crisis. Thank you for showing your solidarity today and helping ensure that Labour’s smear tactics are not allowed to work.
We saw this summer how heatwaves and wildfires increased. This winter, thanks to El Niño accelerating global heating, we can expect our worst winter of storms and floods. We have passed the 1.5 degrees of heating scientists have long warned us about, which means we are at increasing risk of meeting tipping points which could completely destabilise the climate.
Yet Burnham’s Government are
*licensing Jackdaw, which will have no impact on energy bills;
*licensing an Israeli oil company, Navitas, to drill near the Falklands;
*making £2 billion cuts to the Department for Energy;
*cutting the boiler upgrade scheme, which will lose green jobs.
*locally, our Mayor is using our taxes to reopen the failed Doncaster Airport.
On the agenda in the Full Council meeting today is the motion Power to the People. It remains to be seen if this will get discussed due to Labour’s shenanigans, but if we don’t start taking the climate crisis seriously, we are going to need much more than 3 days’ emergency supplies of food and drink.
The motion commits Sheffield to
*expand the successful climate bond scheme,
*accelerate renewable energy projects, especially solar panels on schools to reduce bills and emissions.
* call on the Government to prioritise community renewables and promote a primetime screening of the National Emergency Briefing.
*call on the Mayor to make alternative plans for the Doncaster Airport site, for affordable social housing, built to Passivhaus standards, and a solar farm.
Climate Justice and Justice for Palestine are all connected. Free Palestine! Climate Justice Now!
Here’s Sean’s question, and the answer from Green Party Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Committee, Alexi Dimond. He is very supportive, but the Leader of the Council, Fran Belbin, writes the Council Tax address. He has written to her about this.
If you haven’t seen the People’s Emergency Briefing film yet, please go to one of these screenings.
Map
https://www.nebriefing.org/screening-map
Coming up soon are St Mary’s Church Bramall Lane (14th Nov), Sheffield Business Runners (17th Nov), All Saints Ecclesall (18th Nov) See link above to get tickets.
If there hasn’t been a showing near you, please consider organising one.
Here are the speeches proposing the Power to the People motion. They were both maiden speeches, so many congratulations to the new Councillors, Tessa Lupton and Ruth Abbey.
The full text of the motion is here. Unfortunately, the paragraph about Doncaster Airport was deleted by the other parties, and there were various other amendments. But it is so good to see the Greens continue to push for real climate action in the Council.
Notice of Motion Regarding “Local Power For The People” – Given By Councillor Tessa Lupton and To Be Seconded By Councillor Ruth Abbey
That this Council:-
(a) welcomes energy production and use initiatives in Sheffield, like solar panels on 21 schools funded by climate bonds; further climate bonds for more solar panels on social housing and schools; the inclusion of battery storage; sourcing millions for decarbonisation of social and private homes, including off-gas properties; plans to bring all council homes up to EPC C; pioneering net-zero-in-operation council homes and promoting local energy in the draft local plan;
(b) notes these initiatives bring down household fuel bills as well as the city’s carbon emissions;
(c) notes climate bonds provide a sound financial return for people in Sheffield who are investing in our city’s future;
(d) welcomes the Local Area Energy Plan to deliver a resilient, inclusive and sustainable energy system that meets community needs and the wider benefits of energy security, affordability and shared prosperity;
(e) contrasts this with Government actions to license Jackdaw gas field that will have no impact on energy bills; license an Israeli oil company to drill near the Falklands; the proposed £2 billion cut to the budget of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; cutting the boiler upgrade scheme; and the consequent negative impact that these will have on green jobs and skills;
(f) supports the GB Energy Bid to partner with renewable energy organisations in Sheffield to deliver schemes that will reduce emissions and build community wealth;
(g) stresses the importance of building our own energy-generating facilities to create local power – contributing to a safer, more resilient local energy system;
(h) believes that locally produced energy reduces pressure on the national grid and contributes to national security and Sheffield’s economic security;
(i) resolves to support the Local Area Energy Plan and asks the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee to consider adding to its work programme the development of a Sheffield Community Energy action plan focusing on more locally owned renewable energy sources;
(j) requests the Strategy and Resources Policy Committee to consider adding to its work programme the further expansion of the Sheffield Climate Bonds to accelerate renewable energy projects;
(k) calls on the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority to draw up alternative plans for the Doncaster Sheffield Airport site focused on affordable social housing built to Passivhaus standards and a solar farm to generate local clean energy, and requests that this motion be forwarded to the South Yorkshire Mayor;
(l) recognises the invaluable work of the Sustainability team and believes that every directorate should have a dedicated Sustainability Officer;
(m) requests the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee to consider adding to its work programme the revision of climate change assessments so they are embedded into policy-making at the outset, including nature assessments;
(n) asks the Governance Committee to consider adding to its work programme the establishment of a member-led Climate Oversight Board; and
(o) calls on the Government to prioritise funding for community renewables over drilling for fossil fuels in the Rosebank oilfield and promote a primetime screening of the National Emergency Briefing, and requests that this motion be forwarded to the relevant Minister.
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