BARNSLEY Council’s leader’s stance on potentially ditching the borough’s so-called climate emergency has been blasted by campaigners.
In 2019, the council pledged to act quicker in response to the changing climate by introducing targets to rapidly reduce council emissions by 2040.
Documents say the authority’s current trajectory means it may not meet targets set in a ‘net zero’ pledge made in 2019.
The aim was for the council to become carbon neutral by 2040 and the entire town five years later.
While progress had been made, the council said it had met challenges ‘in the absence of clear policy, legislation and funding’.
Leader William Brown last week announced plans to abandon Barnsley’s climate emergency policy, labelling it as ‘costly’.
However, the decision has been condemned by climate change campaigners in the town - and Barnsley’s Green Party branch - who have urged the Reform-led council to alter its stance.
George Arthur, from Barnsley Trades Union Council, said: “The recent high temperatures are not a ‘one off’ all ten of the warmest years in the UK since records began in 1884 have occurred since 2002.
“This is due to the increase in greenhouse gases.
“Barnsley Council rightly decided in 2019 to pass a climate emergency motion in order to help reduce this crisis.
“Following the spiteful refusal by Reform to fly the Pride flag, this climate ignorance flies in the face of decency and common sense.
“The climate chaos that we are experiencing more and more often requires policies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, not an ignorant denial of scientific reality.
“For many years tobacco companies argued that smoking did not cause cancer and millions died around the world.
“Now fossil fuel companies are using the same tactics as the future of our planet is imperilled.
“It is important to realise that the main result of Earth warming so much is greater chaos in weather patterns.
“This leads to worse flooding and storms in the UK and higher temperatures in the summer.
“Heating does not lead to a pleasant improvement in our climate when extreme it causes deaths particularly among the elderly.
“In 2023, more than 3,700 people over the age of 75 died from a heatwave in France.
“In 2022, there were 2,803 excess deaths among people aged 65 and over during heatwaves in England.
“As the Earth’s temperature increases these figures will become much worse.
“Reform cannot be allowed to drag us backwards this is a call to reject climate denial and I invite all who oppose Reform’s dangerous policy to come along and be part of campaigning to save our planet for future generations.”
Councillor Brown said he believes the council should withdraw the declaration but confirmed the local authority’s undertaking a spending review.
He added: “The Green Party’s response is entirely predictable but it fundamentally misunderstands what this discussion is about.
“Nobody is suggesting that Barnsley should stop caring about its environment, its natural spaces or the health and wellbeing of its residents.
“What we are questioning is whether maintaining a symbolic ‘climate emergency’ declaration actually delivers anything meaningful for local people.
“Barnsley residents expect their council to focus on practical results, not political gestures.”
