Brent's Climate Emergency

Tonight, Brent Council is debating a Climate Emergency declaration, the text of which is now available. 

What I find curious about it is that it restores many of the features that were in place in 2010, but which seems to have been magically forgotten.  Thus, it doesn't mention:

• The Councils attempts to reduce transport emissions
• The very real efforts made through the planning rules to encourage renewable energy, water conservation, better insulation and generally more effective buildings in environmental terms
• The provision of monitoring to ensure that environmental targets are met although this was a feature of both the green charter and subsequently.
• The promotion of more recycling, less landfill and various waste reduction initiatives
• The more sustainable planting regime in Brent parks.

Even more oddly, it calls for a lead member to be tasked with driving a climate change agenda, which was part of my role from 2010 to 2013.  I am not sure when it was dropped as part of that portfolio.  It is possible that Cllr Roxanne Marshari who is proposing the motion for a climate emergency tonight , and was my immediate successor, might be able to say.  In any case, I welcome its return. 

I am also struck by the call for what sounds like a successor group to the climate change steering group.  This unfortunately had a chequered record as many of the participants did not seem to understand its purpose, and simply saw it as a way to

It also seems to omit some rather obvious consequences for Brent, which I would have thought relevant.  There are likely to more climate refugees in the decades to come, and such people often seem to come to Brent in preference to other parts of London or the UK.  There is no mention of the effect that many people consider likely on eating habits and food production, despite Park Royal being at the centre of many food supply networks. 

As I have remarked before, it is easy to sign various pledges, the difficult is following them up with effective action.