Wakefield Council agrees to scrap climate pledges

Wakefield Council has agreed to scrap its target to become a carbon-neutral authority by 2030 and cut its climate change budget by £170,000.

Cabinet members of the Reform-led administration voted in favour of overturning climate change and biodiversity declarations made in 2019.

Leader Karl Johnson told the meeting it was not about "denying the science of climate change" but it was about "focusing council resources on practical actions that can be delivered locally and benefit residents".

However, campaigners said climate action by the authority was "being hidden to slowly wither and die".

Under Labour, the council had declared a climate emergency, pledging to become a carbon-neutral authority by 2030 and a net-zero district by 2038.

Johnson described the targets as "unachievable and unnecessary" and said the authority would also "unpublish" the council's climate change action plan as well as scrapping the role of "climate change elected member champion".

Cabinet members also agreed to end support for the Wakefield Net Zero Partnership, an organisation which connects local organisations, businesses and community groups to share sustainability best practices.

The council will now withdraw from the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission's climate action pledge, a public commitment for businesses and organisations to act on the climate and ecological emergency.

The meeting was told the council's climate change newsletter and associated social media channels would be "retired" under the changes, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A report to senior councillors said the decision could have "workforce implications" which would "be subject to formal trade union consultation".

Johnson said the authority's new policy included making the council's property portfolio, which contains more than 1,600 assets including civic buildings, offices and commercial property, more efficient.

Other plans include supporting residents and businesses to become more energy efficient, as well as improving recycling rates and maintaining more than 600 green spaces across the district.

Members of environmental group Just Transition Wakefield gathered outside Wakefield Town Hall ahead of the meeting.

Group spokesperson Catherine Porritt said: "This is neither practical nor climate action.

"In this report they aim to remove all expertise on climate change from the council and bury all aspects of their business-as-usual policy in departments which will have neither the time nor the knowledge to continue them.

"Climate action is not continuing, it is being hidden to slowly wither and die."

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