Agenda item

Decarbonisation

It was moved by Councillor Jack Scott, seconded by Councillor Ray Satur, that this Council:-

(a)       fully supports the calls for a decarbonisation target in the Energy Bill and profoundly regrets that the recent amendment proposing one was defeated;

(b)       notes that had all Liberal Democrat MPs supported the amendment it could have been carried, however regrets that yet again MPs such as the Deputy Prime Minister placed their loyalty towards their Coalition colleagues above delivering real action on climate change;

(c)        believes that this typifies the present Government’s abject failure to deliver meaningful action on climate change;

(d)       notes comments from Andy Atkins, Executive Director of Friends of the Earth: "The Liberal Democrat leadership’s green credibility has been left in tatters after siding with the Conservatives to back a headlong dash for gas – this would send fuel bills rocketing and jobs overseas, and punch a gaping hole in our climate targets"; and also the comments of Doug Parr, Chief Scientist and Policy Director of Greenpeace UK: "For the sake of households struggling with gas bills, and for the sake of the climate, they [the Lib Dems] must not allow clean energy to be another concession to the Tory right."; and

(e)       warmly welcomes the commitment by HM Opposition to set a decarbonisation target in its election manifesto and believes this is an example of real action to tackle climate change.

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Joe Otten, seconded by Councillor Colin Ross, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.         the deletion of paragraphs (b) to (e); and

2.         the addition of new paragraphs (b) to (h) as follows:-

(b)       nevertheless welcomes the Bill as a roadmap for the UK's switch to “a low-carbon economy” and believes the Bill is a victory for Liberal Democrats in Government;

(c)        highlights the importance of Liberal Democrats in Government forcing Conservative Ministers to take warnings of climate change seriously, something that has been sadly ignored by previous Governments;

(d)       welcomes, in particular, the ground-breaking Green Deal, first proposed by Liberal Democrats, which the Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment described as “fantastic news for Sheffield”;

(e)       furthermore, notes research by the Department of Energy & Climate Change, which demonstrates that the Coalition Government’s climate change policies will save consumers roughly £166 in energy bills by 2020;

(f)        hopes that whoever forms the next Government will legislate for an effective 2030 decarbonisation target in 2016;

(g)       however, believes at a local level this Council should also promote green and sustainable methods of energy production; and

(h)       therefore, reaffirms its commitment to become the country’s first decentralised energy city, entirely reliant on green energy produced within the City.

On being put to the vote, the amendment was negatived.

(Note: Councillor Robert Murphy voted for Paragraphs (f) to (h) and against Paragraphs (b), (c), (d) and (e) of part 2 of the above amendment and asked for this to be recorded.)

The original Motion was then put to the vote and carried, as follows:-

RESOLVED:  That this Council:-

(a)       fully supports the calls for a decarbonisation target in the Energy Bill and profoundly regrets that the recent amendment proposing one was defeated;

(b)       notes that had all Liberal Democrat MPs supported the amendment it could have been carried, however regrets that yet again MPs such as the Deputy Prime Minister placed their loyalty towards their Coalition colleagues above delivering real action on climate change;

(c)        believes that this typifies the present Government’s abject failure to deliver meaningful action on climate change;

(d)       notes comments from Andy Atkins, Executive Director of Friends of the Earth: "The Liberal Democrat leadership’s green credibility has been left in tatters after siding with the Conservatives to back a headlong dash for gas – this would send fuel bills rocketing and jobs overseas, and punch a gaping hole in our climate targets"; and also the comments of Doug Parr, Chief Scientist and Policy Director of Greenpeace UK: "For the sake of households struggling with gas bills, and for the sake of the climate, they [the Lib Dems] must not allow clean energy to be another concession to the Tory right."; and

(e)       warmly welcomes the commitment by HM Opposition to set a decarbonisation target in its election manifesto and believes this is an example of real action to tackle climate change.

(Note: 1. Councillors Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Shaffaq Mohammed, Rob Frost, Colin Ross, Joe Otten, Penny Baker, Roger Davison, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Denise Reaney, Ian Auckland, Bob McCann, Anders Hanson, Katie Condliffe, David Baker, and Trevor Bagshaw voted for Paragraph (a) and against Paragraphs (b) to (e) of the Motion and asked for this to be recorded.

2. Councillor Terry Fox, having declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in the above item of business, took no part in the voting thereon.)