London,
11
June
2020
|
10:35
Europe/London

Camden approves ambitious five-year Climate Action Plan

At the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday 10 June, the Council’s Cabinet approved an ambitious five-year programme of projects and activities that brings to life a vision of a zero carbon borough.

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Councillor Adam Harrison, Cabinet member for a Sustainable Camden
“Put simply, the climate emergency is the most serious threat that our planet, its people, and all forms of life all face. Carbon dioxide emissions in Camden have fallen 38% over the last 10 years, but we know we need go further and more urgently.

“Last year we declared a climate emergency and committed to doing everything we could to make Camden a zero carbon borough by 2030.”
Councillor Adam Harrison, Cabinet member for a Sustainable Camden
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In order to develop a borough-wide response, the council held the UK’s first Citizens’ Assembly on the climate crisis as part of an unprecedented community engagement process around Climate Action.

Councillor Harrison continued:

“The Citizens’ Assembly process helped us focus on what needs to be done, and the subsequent consultation allowed us to fine tune the Assembly proposals further

“We have turned the citizens’ proposals into borough-wide policies and community-led action in this Climate Action Plan. This Action Plan represents the culmination of this work, and defines the first of two five year plans for how we will move towards zero carbon and address the crisis.”

The Climate Action Plan proposes a five-year programme of projects and activities around the themes of People, Places, Buildings and Organisations that deliver on the 17 Citizens’ Assembly recommendations and bring to life the vision of a zero carbon Camden. This will be the first of two plans to 2030.

Highlights of the plan include increasing the number of segregated cycle routes, requiring all new major developments to be zero carbon and switching the Council’s energy supplies to 100% renewable sources.

Achieving these goals will require an effort by all local residents and businesses. The council aspires to lead by example, but collaboration and engagement with the people and organisations of Camden is even more important.

Councillor Harrison continued:

“In the face of the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic, the Climate Action Plan also provides an important supporting framework for environmentally sustainable social and economic renewal that will help us build a better Camden.

“We will do this through a combination of transformational transport projects to help make walking and cycling safer, but which also reduce the pollution that is driving climate change and harming public health.

“The plan also considers how the significant amount of retrofit and refurbishment works needed to deliver on our low carbon ambitions, can create high-quality, sustainable employment opportunities for all.”