A DAMNING report about climate change has made headlines around the world this week but the realities have been brought closer to our doorsteps in the response from both Rugby Borough and Warwickshire County councils.

The UN's landmark report was published yesterday, Monday and highlighted the state of human-influenced climate change and the condition of the natural world. 

Rugby Borough Council said today, Tuesday, it is preparing its climate change strategy and wants to understand residents’ perceptions of the emergency, how prepared they are to respond to the emergency - and how the council can support residents to shift to a net zero future.

And next month it will hold a climate change summit with key community and voluntary organisations, residents and community leaders. This will highlight ways that residents can lessen their impact on climate change as well as outline steps the council is taking.

Howard Roberts is the borough’s portfolio holder for leisure and wellbeing and chair of its cross-party climate emergency working group - he is one of three Conservatives representing the Dunsmore ward and is also a county councillor, representing the Dunsmore and Leam Valley Division. 

With his borough hat on, Cllr Roberts said: “While the UK parliament has set a commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, Rugby Borough Council wants to do everything it can to help reduce carbon emissions as soon as we can.

“Our residents have a crucial role in delivering net zero and we need to be ready to lead the transition to a low carbon and climate resilient economy.

“By completing this survey, residents will help us to understand the challenges they have to reducing their carbon impact. This will help us to prioritise how we provide information and support as we also change our services to reduce their impact on climate change.

“I would like to thank members of the Climate Emergency Working Party from all political parties for their involvement in this survey and the wider climate change work the council is undertaking.”

Residents can find out more and complete the survey at www.rugby.gov.uk/climatesurvey.

The county council statement says while the findings of the report are bleak, it hopes its publication will be a wake-up call that rapid change is needed. 

Heather Timms is its portfolio holder for heritage, culture and the environment - and is one of the Rugby area’s county councillors, representing the Earl Craven Division. She is also a Rugby borough councillor, one of the three Conservatives who represent Revel and Binley Woods.

With her county council hat on, Cllr Timms said: “The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report should be a wake-up call to us all. Climate change is not something that is happening somewhere else and to someone else. Climate change is happening right now, and it affects all of us. 

“The only effective response to this is a collective one that must go beyond governments and public bodies to every one of us. We all have an important role to play in minimising the impact that we are having on our environment.

“There is already a lot of fantastic work going on across Warwickshire to help achieve our target of being net zero by 2030 and minimise the effects that we all have on our fast-changing climate and these efforts are set to increase exponentially over the coming months and years through a variety of projects and initiatives, such as the community projects funded through the Green Shoots Fund and the benefits we will gain through signing-up to the UK100 Pledge.

“It’s very easy to read the IPCC Report and think that there is no hope for the future.  However, every indication is that the damage that we have done can be reversed if we act quickly. I look forward to this council continuing to work with all our partners and residents to strive towards the best Warwickshire that is sustainable now and for future generations.”

You can read a copy of the IPCC report here: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/#FullReport