Agenda item

Receipt of petition on behalf of Extinction Rebellion with over 200 signatures from people who live and work in Somerset West and Taunton. The petition calls for the creation of a citizen’s assembly, immediate implementation of local policies to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2025 and reversal or revision of any existing policies which increase net carbon emissions. The petitioners have formally requested that a debate takes place at a Full Council Meeting. Ms Fran Hicks (Extinction Rebellion) to present the petition. A copy of the front sheet of the petition is attached. An assessment of the implications for the Council should the petition be carried will follow.

Presentation for Extinction Rebellion Petition on Climate Change

David Hincks and Fran Hicks introduced themselves to the Councillors and gave the following speech:-

We all knew a climate emergency was declared by SWT Council back in February 2019 and that was a great start, and we also all knew it was no good shouting “fire” and then all sitting down to have a cup of tea.  Actually we did recognise that SWT was already making some good moves.  Park and Ride extension, grants for outlying areas to have electric vehicle power points installed, St James Street pedestrianisation, improvements at the Railway Station, were all examples of steps already underway, but much more needed to be done, and quickly.

Q. So, Fran, was the target set for net zero carbon emissions in the district by 2030 ambitious enough?

It was certainly better than the Government’s current national target of 2050, but I urged the Council to set its sights even higher.  It would be too late if we got to 2030 and looked back thinking we should have done more.  We had to be ambitious.  Very ambitious.  The situation demanded it.

Q. Could you give some examples of policy areas that the Council should be looking at to achieve carbon reductions?

Actually probably every area that fell within the ambit of local authority governance.  If we took Transport, for example, we needed to find ways of incentivising people to lessen their dependence on cars, so better public transport, better transport links, encouragement of car sharing schemes, more traffic free areas, reliable park and ride going forward, incentives for taxis and buses to move away from petrol and diesel engines, better cycling routes and infrastructure, and so on.... Those were all things that a Citizens Assembly (CA) could consider in more detail and provide guidance on to Council.

Q. So Fran, could you tell us a bit more about CAs and why you thought one was needed?

Big subject.  We were facing a challenge of unprecedented change in an unprecedented time frame.  Human nature was what it was, and most people disliked change.  But what we did or didn’t do over the next ten years would determine whether we could slow the acceleration of destruction sufficiently to pull us back from the brink, or whether the snowball of runaway climate change would just speed us exponentially towards an unliveable future.

Q. So you saw Citizens Assemblies as a way of overcoming public resistance to change?

Yes, there would almost certainly be some discomfort in and even resistance to the initial changes.  I was on the advisory panel around public spaces and the closing of St James Street and experienced at first hand the initial kick back for that scheme.  It was crucial that time was not lost in multiple protracted internal meetings, and that the issues were instead properly presented to a wide-ranging group of citizens, with the potential gains being understood and supported by the public as a result.  That could be achieved through the use of a Citizens Assembly.

Q. And how would a Citizens Assembly actually work to achieve that?

Well, it would demonstrate the Council’s willingness to engage in deliberative democracy, by inviting ordinary people to learn about good deliberative practices, to hear from experts and stakeholders, and to be led by trained and experienced facilitators, from an independent body, and to come to decisions in a thoughtful and timely manner.  Then to vote on options, which would be put to Council and if above a certain percentage, duly adopted.  Of course it made sense for that to be done at a County level also, and discussions were ongoing with Somerset County Council about that, but SWT could set a lead by example.

Q. And what sort of shape or structure might a CA have?

Precise models for CAs varied, in size, scope, and potential cost, and we were more than happy to meet with Council representatives in January 2020 to discuss possible formats and approaches in more detail.  One possibility might be to run a smaller version of a CA: sometimes referred to as a Citizen’s Jury.  That would work in the same way as a CA, but would take less time, money and people.

Q. What other benefits might a CA have?

This isn’t just about a need to address the climate and ecological crisis, it was also an opportunity to address the deep malaise that affected our existing democratic system, and to give people a sense that their views and experience count, not in a polarised way but in a rounded and thorough way, going beyond just putting issues out for consultation.  Our contention was that, based on the positive existing examples of deliberative democracy practices both from in this country (e.g. Camden Borough Council, Devon County Council, Oxford City Council and the Welsh National Assembly) and across the world (e.g. Ireland, Belgium, Poland, France and Spain), it wouldn’t be just what we did in addressing the challenges of the climate and ecological crisis that got remembered but the way that we did it.

Well, thank you Fran for all that information.  It’s a lot to take in and there was of course a lot more that could be said, however we’re running out of time. Thank you for listening and we hoped SWT could now rise to the challenge and act appropriately on the proposals set out in our Petition, in summary:

1) Be bold and implement policies aiming at net zero by 2025, not 2030

2) Put carbon emissions and consumption levels at the heart of policy and all decision making, and

3) Got the public mandate to agree the urgency for action, and the bold steps needed through a Citizens Assembly: active participation not just passive consultation.

The following comments were raised during the discussion:-

·         Councillors supported the move towards carbon neutrality and the implementation of new policies to work towards that, but were unsure that a CA was the best way to achieve that.

·         Concern was raised that if Councillors agreed to set up a CA that it would take away resource from the work needed to create new strategies.

·         Councillors highlighted that SWT had already confirmed their commitment to climate change and raised concern on the CA model being used and that it would not give any added value to the work needed.

·         Councillors welcomed the petition because it provoked a debate on climate change.

·         Councillors highlighted that it had been a challenging year and were thankful for all the projects that had already been achieved so far.

·         The Leader confirmed she would be happy to meet with the members of Extinction Rebellion in 2020 to discuss the options.