How does the climate change emergency affect you?
What is climate change?
The climate is the long-term pattern of day to day weather. It affects everything from the way we live the foods that grow, to our health and very existence. There is a climate emergency because our climate is changing faster than nature can adapt to it, including us as humans. The four previously distinct seasons are now merging into two seasons with spring merging into winter and autumn merging to summer. The earth’s temperature is rising every year.
By declaring a Climate Emergency it acknowledges that you need to act on the causes and impacts of climate change. The United Nations says we could have just 11 years left to limit a climate change catastrophe.
In 2019, Newham Council declared a climate emergency and has since set a raft of environmental measures to tackle global warming, poor air quality and waste. The information below has been extracted from the council’s website.
The measures are aimed at making Newham carbon neutral by 2030, and to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, in line with UK Government targets.
In July 2020, the council agreed a Climate Emergency Action Plan (PDF), which sets out some of the key steps they are planning to take in the next year or so. As the action plan is implemented, the council will identify further steps it will take to tackle the climate emergency locally.
The Council’s Action Plan sets out what the council proposes to do over the next year or so across a range of areas.
- Newham Climate Now: improving climate emergency information to empower our community to act.
- Sustainable transport schemes: rolling out electric charging points, low traffic neighbourhood and liveable neighbourhood schemes, the proposed introduction of an emissions-based residential parking scheme, bike hire schemes and car club vehicles.
- Improving air quality measures: such as the development of Air Quality Health Champions, the promotion of healthier, more sustainable food consumption and the reduction of food waste.
- Waste Reduction and Recycling, including increasing recycling rates, and the development of a more sustainable approach to waste management.
- The Greening of Council Fleet Vehicles, including the introduction of Gas-To-Liquid (GTL) fuel as an alternative to diesel to reduce particulates and emissions and the introduction of up to 40 electric vans in the Council’s fleet by the end of the year.
- Greening the Borough, including developing a 10-year Parks and Green Spaces Strategy and investment plan.
- Building a Green Economy: including promoting the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone as an incubator for the green technology sector and ensuring that local people are given access to the vocational skills they need to take advantage of new green technology jobs created.
But how does this affect me?
The impacts of climate change include rising temperatures, increases in the frequency or intensity of some extreme weather events, and rising sea levels and CO2 (Carbon dioxide) in the air. These impacts of this on our health is by affecting the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the weather we experience. By declaring a climate emergency the government has put financial and human resources into tackling and reversing the effects of climate change. This shows a degree of commitment to sustainability.
The chamber would like to understand how Climate Change and environmental sustainability is impacting your business. Please take 5 mins to complete the survey in the link below this will be much appreciated. It will help to inform how the Newham Chamber Commerce can assist its members in going green.
The closing date is 31st October 2021