Climate politics

We go to the polls on Thursday 12 December 2019 to elect new MPs for Cumbria and a new government for our country. Will it be a government that will take the transformational actions needed to cut the UK’s carbon emissions in time to halt damaging climate change? That’s up to us as voters. Climate science demands that every country reaches zero carbon by 2030. The next government is crucial - by the time another general election comes around, it will be too late to put in place the range of actions the science demands. This is our chance [...]

Councillors, council officers and community groups came together on Saturday 22 September to pick up lots of practical information about next steps after a climate emergency has been declared. The Cumbria Climate Emergency Action Summit, organised by CAfS and sponsored by Ecology Building Society, was designed specifically for everyone grappling with what to actually do after declaring a climate emergency – what actions to take, whether to set up a citizens’ assembly, how to engage the public, what partners to involve. The event aimed to answer those questions, drawing from the experience and knowledge of experts and those who’ve [...]

Cumbrians took part in global climate strikes on Friday 20 September, joining with people from around the world calling for urgent action on climate change. Rallies were held in Carlisle, Penrith, Ulverston, Kendal, Keswick, and Cockermouth. Cumbrian businesses and organisations supported the strikes in large numbers. Ellergreen Hydro, RSPB and 2030 Architects were among those giving staff time off to support and speak at the strikes. “Young people’s future is in our hands,” said Tracey Hart, associate director at 2030 architects in Penrith, and a trustee of CAfS. “What we do today will shape their tomorrow. We believe architects [...]

We welcome the Government's announcement today of a new plan to cut UK emissions to 'almost zero' by 2050 - but the climate science calls for much greater urgency. This is a wonderful sign that there is political will to move in the right direction, compared to the Government's previous 80% target by 2050, but the Government must go much further must faster. Particularly in light of the UK's historic contribution to global emissions, CAfS agrees with calls for the UK to reach net zero by 2030. The UN's report by the IPCC last October was very clear - [...]