Agenda item

Motion C

Calling on government to support local climate action

Proposed by Cllr Mike Hakata
Seconded by Cllr Sarah Williams

This Council notes:

• Haringey Council has committed to being a net zero carbon borough by 2041.
• A survey from the Local Government Association (LGA) found that residents trust their council the most to address the climate emergency.
• Haringey Council is best placed to understand and act on unique local environmental issues and is best placed to work with residents to develop creative solutions.
• The government’s Environment Bill is not sufficient to address the scale of the climate crisis, but Haringey Council has set ambitious local climate targets and implemented innovative emissions-reducing policies.
• Through initiatives such as retrofitting homes, developing Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, decarbonising the council’s fleet of vehicles, and all new council homes being built to the highest energy efficient standards, Haringey Council is making significant progress towards our net zero carbon goal.
• With the support of national government, local authorities can create even greater economic, social, and environmental value from the local delivery of low carbon infrastructure and green jobs.
• With more funding and support from national government, Haringey could go further and faster in addressing the climate emergency.

This Council resolves:

• To request that the Leader of the Council and the Leader of the Opposition write to the Prime Minister, requesting that government work closely with local authorities to identify and allocate the investment and support that will empower local authorities to address the climate emergency and deliver green infrastructure projects that will make a difference in local communities. 

Motion D

Withdraw support for the Edmonton Incinerator

Proposer: Councillor Scott Emery

Seconder: Councillor Tammy Palmer

Council notes that:

• Haringey has declared a Climate Emergency, and has committed to becoming net-zero carbon by 2041;
• Residents have not been consulted on the Edmonton Incinerator project since 2015;
• Renewal of the incinerator would cost over £1 billion, and could produce 700,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year;
• Incinerators are far more polluting than even coal-fired power plants, for example releasing 2.5 times as much CO₂ and three times as much nitrous oxides;
• There are no plans for carbon capture facilities to be built alongside the incinerator;
• In 2019/20, Haringey had a recycling rate of just 30%, down from 37% in 2014/15;
• The London Assembly noted in February 2018 that incinerators can negatively affect long-term recycling rates;
• 10,000 premature deaths are already linked to poor air quality each year in London, and 98% of the city’s schools are in areas where air pollution exceeds World Health Organisation limits;
• Continued exposure to excessive levels of air pollution has been shown to stunt lung growth in children and worsen chronic diseases.

Council believes that:

• Industrialised nations like the United Kingdom have a responsibility to reduce their carbon emissions more drastically than developing countries;
• Continuation of the incinerator project is incompatible with both Haringey’s and the UK’s carbon reduction goals;
• Given UK government CO₂ reduction goals, the incinerator is likely to become obsolete, and possibly illegal, well before the end of its predicted lifespan;
• A new incinerator would undermine recycling by causing a demand for waste;
• Presenting landfill and incineration as the only two solutions to dealing with waste is misleading and inaccurate;
• The future of our country must rely on a circular economy, with an increased focus on reducing waste and on recycling;
• Building a new incinerator in Edmonton, close to the border with Tottenham, will worsen both economic and racial health disparities.

Council resolves to:

• Pause and reconsider its support for the Edmonton Incinerator project, and lobby other boroughs to do the same;
• Consult with local communities on their views on how to dispose of our waste;
• Work with partners on the North London Waste Authority to prepare an alternative plan for waste disposal, which does not involve incineration;
• Invest in increasing Haringey’s recycling rate.