Leader of the Opposition on Harrogate Borough Council, Pat Marsh, has resigned from the Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition.
The Liberal Democrats first proposed declaring a Climate Emergency in April 2019, but faced fierce opposition from Conservative councillors.
The party has continued its fight and in November 2020 brought the issue back to council, along with the proposal of the establishment of a Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change, “bringing the whole community together to find solutions”.
They were once again shot down by the Conservatives.
Councillor Pat Marsh has said:
A ‘Climate Coalition’ was never our preferred option. We were always concerned that it would be plagued by inaction. Nevertheless, I and others joined the committee to push for positive change from the inside.
However, our initial fears have been proven correct and it’s clear that the only by engaging with residents across the district – brining them into the process – do we have any hope of tackling this crisis.
Liberal Democrat campaigners and I will continue working with local residents for a greener district, fighting to declare a local Climate Emergency and for bold solutions.
Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition definition:
The Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition is a group of businesses, public sector organisations and voluntary groups, which promotes and implements carbon reduction activities throughout the Harrogate district – it is lead by Harrogate District Borough Council.
The coalition was set up in response to the council’s Notice of Motion supporting measures to address the climate emergency.
The intention is to engage a wide range of organisations and individuals in collaborative work to achieve the aim of net-zero emissions.
What do citizens assemblies do?
Citizens assemblies give members of the public the time and opportunity to learn about and discuss a topic, before reaching conclusions.
Assembly Members are asked to make trade-offs and arrive at workable recommendations.
