A new Government, but our climate future is still at risk

After 14 years, the Conservatives run in Government has finally come to an end. In their final years, their failure to protect our natural environment has become increasingly evident – the sewage crisis in our rivers is merely the culmination of the lackadaisical approach of successive Ministries, and I am so proud that the Liberal Democrats fought to bring this ongoing tragedy to the forefront of the national conversation (our best result in 101 years only demonstrates how the public shared in our disgust). The second gut punch from the Conservatives was Sunak’s backtracking on crucial net-zero targets, which has served as a national embarrassment to a country that was once a paragon in the fight against climate change.

With a new Government, there are new promises. However, as we have seen with Starmer’s infamous U-turn on his £28bn green investment plan, readers may well share my scepticism that Sir Kier can be trusted to take the bold actions necessary to protect our climate, and ultimately, our future. While we all wait to see what substance has really come with last week’s changing of the guard, Wokingham will continue to pave the way by working tirelessly to reach our target of carbon neutrality by 2030.

By regularly reviewing and updating our Climate Emergency Action Plan, we are tracking how our efforts to reduce carbon emissions are progressing. I am delighted at the achievements we have made so far, and together with our fantastic officers we will continue to find innovative ways to keep Wokingham on the right course. From the 44 on-street charging points delivered as part of our Electric Vehicle strategy, to the installation of 3,184 new solar panels as part of the Solar Together scheme (the best amongst participating Councils), and to the 2,415 tonnes of CO2e we expect to save every year as part of our new Waste Collection Strategy, there is no shortage of ambitious actions we are undertaking to make our climate goals a reality.

We can only hope that the seriousness that the Liberal Democrat administration has taken in the fight to secure our climate future is matched by the new Government. Years of cuts have placed Councils across the nation under severe financial pressure, and grant funding for environmental concerns have likewise been constricted significantly – I look forward to working with our two new MPs on making sure the Borough’s voice on the climate emergency is heard in Westminster, and that we continue to push to see the huge shortfalls in funding restored. In the meantime, I assure residents that we will do everything in our power to achieve a carbon neutral Wokingham by 2030, but until that ambition is demonstrated nationwide, our climate future is still at risk.

- Jordan Montgomery, Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency, Borough Councillor for Wokingham Without