Climate Emergency Declaration  - Find a freedom of information request

Environmental information request re: Climate Emergency Declaration     

We write as part of national research project being undertaken by universities throughout the UK and being led by the Environmental Law Foundation (ELF) exploring the work in tackling climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. The research focuses on the climate change emergency declarations made by many public bodies, including district and city councils, unitary authorities and even Parliament, since 2018. We are seeking to track their development with a view to publishing the progress of public action on climate change in the lead up to COP26 in November 2021.      We have carried out some preliminary research of the East Midlands region and note that Lincolnshire County Council rejected making a Climate Emergency Declaration 17th May 2019.     Following our initial review we would like the Council to provide the following information:     

1) Has the council changed its position on making a Climate Emergency Declaration? Where is it? (web link) 

2) Is there a Climate Action Strategy? Where is it? (web link)  

3) If there is no declaration, please explain why this decision was made as we note  from our research there is a Green Masterplan and Carbon Management Plan (2020- 2025) and council targets for reducing 28,679 Tonnes by 20% in 2023.

4) Is there a declaration of emissions by Scope? What are the plans? Where is it? (web link) 

5) Is there buying and direct offsets? Where is it? (web link) 

6) What is stakeholder/community involvement? i.e., what steps has the Council taken to involve employees,businesses, other workers, residents, community groups, visitors/tourists? (web link)

7) Is there a general climate change adaptation policy? Where is it? (web link) Please can you also confirm how many Town Councils and/or Parish Council/Community Councils in your area have made Climate Emergency Declarations: 

a)  Please provide the names and contact details of each of these  

b)  please confirm how your Council collaborates with each Town Council and/or Parish Council/Community Councils

c)  Please confirm which other community groups/organisations that you liaise and cooperate with that may have made a Climate Emergency Declaration and how your own declaration links with any other work. 

d)  Please provide details of any other local community action your Council carries on to pursue any plans and commitments relating to your CCED.

1. Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) decided against declaring a Climate Emergency but committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050. They also recently decide to commit to reducing their 1990 carbon emissions by 68% by 2025, 5 years earlier than the government target of 2030.

2. LCC has a Green Masterplan detailing how they aim to get to carbon neutrality by 2050 the link is below: https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/green-masterplan

3. The councillors made the decision not to declare a climate emergency but to acknowledge it and commit to becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The carbon management Plan 3 is our commitment to reducing carbon emissions 2016/17 emissions by 20% by 2023, further carbon Management Plans will be undertaken for 2026-2030, 2031-2035 etc, with the Greenmaster plan being the overarching document.

4. Yes the Carbon Management Plan 3 breaks emissions down by scope.

The plan can be found at the link below:

https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/directory-record/64243/carbon-management-plan

5. At present LCC are reducing our emissions without the need for offsetting, this will be reviewed in the future as we get nearer to carbon neutrality.

6. The Green Masterplan aims to reduce carbon emissions to zero across 3 areas: • Lincolnshire County Council. • District Council and other Public Bodies and businesses. • The community of Lincolnshire. Later in the year we plan to formally launch the Green Masterplan and involve as wide a group of people as possible this would include ourselves, District Councils, NHS, Police, Ambulance, Businesses and the community.

7. This is being updated at present.

a. As far as Town Councils and/or Parish Council/Community Councils LCC are unaware which if any of these have declared a Climate Emergency.

b. Many councillors have dual roles such as parish councillors also being District councillors and District Councillors also being County Councillors

c. LCC are unaware which if any community groups/organisations may have declared a Climate Emergency.

d. LCC is unaware which if any community groups/organisations may have declared a Climate Emergency.