Winchester councillor slams council for not meeting green targets

Cllr Malcolm Wallace said that the council’s aim for the district to be carbon neutral by 2030 is “fast becoming a pipe dream”.

The council declared a climate emergency in 2019, with the goal of being carbon neutral by the end of 2024.

However, Cllr Wallace raised his concerns on what he perceives as a lack of progress towards this goal during the annual review of the risk management policy for 2024 and 2025.

READ MORE: Concerns raised over council's ability to be carbon neutral by the end of the year

Cllr Malcolm Wallace (right) (Image: Contributed)

Cllr Wallace, during a cabinet meeting on Thursday, March 14, said: “The council’s declaration of a nature emergency stated that the council resolves to consider the impact of nature recovery in all strategic plans, policy areas and decision-making processes. It is therefore puzzling that this has been overlooked in the risk management policy review. Its absence raises all sorts of issues about the constitution and ethics and meaningfulness of the unanimously agreed full council motions, especially emergency ones. Moreover, it risks giving the impression that the council is simply paying lip service to the nature emergency.”

He went on to say that progress towards both the council and district carbon emissions targets are “off track”, saying that in the three years since the council declared a climate emergency, carbon emissions reduced by less than 10 per cent.

Cllr Wallace continued: “The aim of the district being carbon neutral by 2030 is fast becoming a pipe dream.

“The risk management policy states that in order to reflect the urgency of the climate crisis, the council will consider options with elevated levels of risk if they deliver required outcomes faster. However, despite falling behind its self-declared targets, the administration is passing up opportunities for going greener faster. Lack of funding is often cited for this, but even when a line of funding is presented it was rejected.”

Cllr Neil Cutler, deputy leader of the council, responded saying: “I find myself disagreeing with you. We have a slightly higher level of risk within the climate emergency section of our council plan.

Cllr Neil Cutler

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“You raised the comment about us not taking the opportunity for other forms of finance. I think we made it clear that we would consider Community Municipal Investments where they are appropriate.

“Funding is not what is holding us back in any shape or form with green investments, it’s actually the business case for doing them. If you expect us to change our risk appetite to the level of recklessness where we just spend money with no business case, I’m afraid we can’t agree to that.”

The cabinet agreed on the review of the risk management policy.