Northumberland County Council could declare 'ecological emergency' this summer

It follows on from the declaration of a climate emergency in 2019, when plans were announced to become a carbon neutral county by 2030.

Other councils have since declared an ecological emergency, including South Oxfordshire and Bristol. Figures from 2021 showed that 83% of councils had declared a climate emergency, but just 15% had declared an ecological one.

While climate emergencies surround climate change and carbon production, ecological emergencies focus on the decline in wildlife.

County council leader Glen Sanderson has announced plans to “refresh and update” the council’s climate change action plan. He has spoken to stress the council’s “dedication” and highlight the importance of looking after local environments.

He said: “There is a clear need for us to explore new ways we can all work together to create an environment that works for everyone across our county.

“Already we have taken great strides in achieving our goals, but we know there is still a lot of work to be done as we work towards carbon neutral. Our work to refresh the climate change action plan is well under way and will set out our key priorities and areas for the next three years.

“As a priority I’ve also requested officers to bring a report to cabinet over the summer looking to declare an ecological emergency, so that we give greater priority to protecting nature and wildlife and enhancing habitats and biodiversity which are all key to our successful future.”

Coun Nick Morphet, leader of the council’s Green Party group, was pleased with the decision to explore the declaration of an ecological emergency – but raised concerns with the authority’s net-zero drive.

He said: “This was something that I and Coun Mark Swinbank (Green councillor for Alnwick) put to the council about a year ago. We spoke to the chief ecologist who took some persuasion and decided they were keen.

“They did have to wait for Government guidance on the Environment Act before they felt they could go ahead.

“In terms of the climate crisis and the target to be net-zero by 2030, that’s a good target that I approve of. However, I think we could and should be doing far more.

“We aren’t quite taking the right approach. It is about how you get there and how much carbon you release on the way to getting there. We need to be looking at carbon budgets.”

A carbon budget places a restriction on the total amount of greenhouse gases the UK can emit over a five-year period.

Coun Morphet continued: “One thing I think we need is a really powerful behaviour change campaign. We had a good one for walking and cycling, so we should have an equally good one for carbon emissions.

“The other major component of our carbon emissions in Northumberland is transport. We need to improve the bus service and the train services.”

Coun Sanderson has said the council will be working hard to ensure Northumberland’s “stunning” natural resources are “protected and enhanced”, both now and in the future. This will include creating more green spaces and woodlands, as well as dealing with other problems such as litter.