Green Party members joined a demonstration by local campaigners outside the Town Hall in Huddersfield on 13th November before the Kirklees full council debated the Climate Emergency Report.
In the debate many councillors felt it was an important step forward and should not be a party political issues. But there were significant criticism about a lack of ambition in the report’s recommendations. Cllr Andrew Cooper, a member of the Climate Emergency Working Group, declined to sign it off. Later the council noted the report.
Andrew Cooper commented: “It is how the Cabinet responds to criticism on trees policy, their support for airport expansion and building standards by which they will be judged”.
Published at the same time, the Air Quality Action Plan for Kirklees was also approved. Although offering an up to date analysis of the issues, it is also not ambitious and lacks targets. Amongst the key measures absent from the air plan was any proposal to amend taxi licensing to ensure a cleaner fleet in the 2020s.