Tell Hampshire County Council to set a 2030 target for carbon neutrality
At Havant Climate Alliance we are calling on Hampshire county council to set a target of carbon neutrality by 2030 following the publication of the council’s climate change strategy last month.
The Hampshire strategy has set a target of carbon neutrality by 2050 – but this is simply not ambitious enough – all the science is telling us that 2050 is too late. So we are calling on councillors to support a 2030 target instead.
HCA is part of a county-wide network of climate groups – brought together by the Hampshire Climate Action Network. We have been involved with identifying gaps which have been fed back to the County climate team and HCAN has produced this fantastic feedback on the strategy.
You could write a letter directly to your county councillors. Find a copy of the letter below and find your local Hampshire county councillor.
You can find the full letter, the list of groups which signed it and a list of all the councils which have opted for a 2030 target here http://www.campaign.exchange/campaigns/ask-hampshire-for-a-more-ambitious-climate-target/
Why 2030?
As the County Council declared, we face an emergency. The definition of an emergency is “a dangerous situation requiring immediate action”.
The IPCC warns that we have only 12 years to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
The consequences of a 2 degree rise in temperature are terrifyingly worse than a 1.5 degree rise. Going higher is to be avoided at all costs.
Acting now could mean that we avoid hitting tipping points which accelerate disastrous chain reactions.
Climate change is already changing our climate, increasing the risks of flooding and droughts, threatening food supplies, eroding our coastline and speeding up the extinction of wildlife.
The effects of climate change are already experienced by millions of people in other parts of the world, mostly the very poor who have done the least to cause the problem.
Urgent action could mean less suffering in future in Hampshire and across the world from floods, high temperatures and droughts, plus reduce spending to deal with the effects.
We have increasing evidence of the effects of air pollution on physical and mental health, another County Council responsibility (and cost)
Talking about 2050 sends the wrong message to people who haven’t yet woken up to the danger, and think we still have plenty of time to act.
Havant Climate Alliance 