At the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow (31 Oct-12 Nov), world leaders are coming together to address the global climate crisis. The targets they will set for global carbon reduction over the next three decades will have a significant effect on the social, economic and environmental future for us all.
Croydon Council made a clear commitment to tackle climate change when it declared a climate emergency in July 2019, and unanimously approved a statement of intent to protect the environment. We are already undertaking a huge range of actions to achieve this, from reducing carbon emissions to protecting our green spaces, improving biodiversity and reducing waste. You can find out more on our sustainability webpages. In the coming months we will publish a Net Zero Carbon Action Plan to help Croydon become a net zero borough by 2030, and our response to the Croydon Climate Crisis Commission, which we set up to steer this important work.
We cannot do this alone. Tackling climate change is one of the biggest challenges humanity faces and we all have a role to play. The science is clear – without significant intervention to reach net zero emissions, we will see deeply harmful impacts on human wellbeing and the natural world. We hope COP26 will bring about a strong global consensus to protect our planet and our communities, and we very much look forward to any new targets and aspirations which come out of the conference. As a council we will be ready to act on any new sustainable ambitions which emerge and I ask all our communities, businesses and individuals to do the same.
What can you do to help tackle climate change?
Ideas to help reduce your personal carbon footprint:
- Insulate your home
- Switch to renewable energy
- Buy energy efficient light bulbs and home appliances
- Use less water
- Change your diet to include fewer meat products
- Turn off the lights
- Walk or cycle for short journeys – leave the car at home as much as possible
- Recycle and use your food waste caddy at home
- Bring along reusable bags when you do your shopping
- Reduce the amount of litter your bring to parks by packing re-usable picnics
Many thanks,
Councillor Muhammad Ali, cabinet member for sustainable Croydon
