Somerset’s Climate Emergency Strategy
All five councils in Somerset have produced an ambitious plan for Somerset
Introduction
Climate change is one of the most significant issues facing the world today. The effects are being felt already. In the UK 2019 was the 11th warmest year on record, with the top 10 warmest all having occurred since 2002.
In a special report of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations highlights the need to take immediate action to limit the increase in average global temperatures to a 1.5°C threshold. Even an increase of half a degree beyond this will drastically worsen the risk of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty.
The challenge of climate change is a global issue, but everyone needs to play their part. This is why the five Somerset local authorities have each declared or recognised a Climate Emergency.
In 2019, the Somerset local authorities (Somerset County Council, Mendip District Council, Sedgemoor District Council, Somerset West and Taunton Council, and South Somerset District Council) all passed resolutions to declare or recognise ‘A Climate Emergency’ and have since agreed to collaborate to produce and deliver an ambitious, joint Climate Emergency Strategy for Somerset.
The strategy will identify ways that Somerset might work to together towards being carbon neutral by 2030 and adapt to predicted climate change impacts.
Current C02 emissions in Somerset
You can find out on the Somerset Trends website how we are doing in Somerset with historic and recent C02 emissions, otherwise known as greenhouse gases. There are both natural and human sources of carbon dioxide emissions. Natural sources include decomposition, ocean release and respiration. Human sources come from activities like cement production, deforestation as well as the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas.
Due to human activities, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has been rising extensively since the Industrial Revolution.
In 2017 a total of 3285 kt (kilotons) of CO2 were emitted in Somerset from industrial, domestic and transport-related sources. For context, a kiloton of carbon is emitted by 200 average cars in 1 year. In fact, the majority of emissions in Somerset derive from the transport sector – 46.7%, compared to 29.5% from industry and 23.8% from the domestic sector.
Somerset County Council Climate Emergency Community Fund 2020 – 2021
A new grant scheme is now available to help local communities take positive action to help Somerset become carbon neutral and mitigate the impacts of Climate Change.
“Climate Change, and its impacts on the world we live in, is one of the most significant issues facing us all today…”
Strategy
Somerset’s draft Climate Emergency Strategy has been produced by the five local authorities following a public consultation that took place in January 2020. Somerset’s draft Climate Emergency Strategy will be going through a formal approval process and public airing, starting from 6 October and finishing on 25 November 2020 at all five Councils in Somerset.
Latest news
6 Oct 2020
Plans published on Somerset’s Climate Emergency following public feedback
Draft plans have now been drawn up on how Somerset will tackle the changing climate in…...
1 Sep 2020
£1m Somerset Climate Emergency Community Fund OPEN for applications from 1 October
A pot of £1 million is now available to help local communities become carbon neutral and…...
24 Jun 2020
Somerset County Council joins rural alliance to demand support for tackling climate change
Somerset County Council Leader David Fothergill has joined a group of rural council leaders to promote…...
Your questions answered
Here are answers to some of the questions you may have about what Somerset is doing to address the issues of Climate Change and the approach we are taking to achieve our goals.
Case Studies
Find out what the five councils are doing and how we are getting our own houses in order.
Events
Virtual Conference
Thursday 22 October 2020
11am to 2pm
Virtual Climate Emergency Event for City, Town and Parish Councils on Zoom.
Virtual Conference
Saturday 24 October 2020
11am to 2pm
Virtual Climate Emergency Event for City, Town and Parish Councils on Zoom.
