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Local Plan 2040 Draft Plan - Strategy options and draft policies consultation

Representation ID: 6671

Received: 14/09/2021

Respondent: Stevington Parish Council

Representation Summary:

Section 8: Position statements: Climate change subsection Section 8.9 Bedford Borough Council Approach
The recently released IPCC AR6 report tells us, in the starkest terms, that we must act now and quickly to limit global warming to less than 1.5°C if we are to minimise the worst adverse impacts of climate change. We are already seeing more severe weather events across the globe even with an increase of only 1.2°C. If we continue at the current level of global CO2 emissions we will almost certainly exceed 1.5°C. An increase of 2°C is very likely even if we achieve net zero by 2050 and higher temperature rises of 3°C or more will occur if we are slow to get to net zero. The environmental consequences from these temperature increases changes will be severe. It’s not just about loss of biodiversity there will be adverse impacts on farming, the food chain, energy, water and sewage. It will affect all of us personally. There will be flooding, more extreme storms and storm damage, extended heat waves and droughts. All countries will be affected, even the UK. Council must support and prepare communities for what is to come. The Councils growth plans are not reflecting this likely future.
Although the UK is making progress in reducing its carbon emissions, most of the current reduction are derived from changes in power generation and growth in renewable energy sources (the low hanging fruit is being, or has already been, picked!) There is very much slower progress in reduction of carbon emissions related to personal consumption, e.g., home heating, car transport and embodied carbon in food, consumables and the products we buy.
Bedford Council declared a climate emergency in March 2019. This declaration needs to be translated into emergency response and preparedness actions, building the resilience of local communities for what we are being told will inevitably happen in the coming decade.
In the light of the recent IPCC AR6 report these processes must be now be given a very much higher priority in growth plans. We most strongly urge council to adapt their policies to address carbon emission reduction for the whole borough and not just for those areas where there is to be growth. Council needs to move swiftly from policy and planning to implementation and action. A net zero borough by 2040 may not be soon enough to prevent major ecological and societal damage