Lambeth Council has already declared a climate emergency; it is now time to take action to support this declaration and make sure that climate change is at the top of the agenda.

The Council has now issued a Climate Crisis Response which is a welcome step, however the council must continue to show strong leadership as other councils have. To this end,

We the undersigned demand that Lambeth Borough Council appoints a Climate Emergency Lead to expedite and oversee actions relating to the climate emergency.

This post should be overseen by a Cabinet position and shadowed by an environmental audit committee to scrutinise all the Council’s activities.

Similar appointments have been made by councils in Lewisham, who recently appointed a Climate Resilience Manager, and Southwark, where a new Cabinet position with a portfolio for Environment, Transport and Climate Emergency was established.

The new Climate Emergency Lead must prioritise a Just Transition whereby the most economically disadvantaged in our community do not bear the financial burden of climate change action.

Lambeth Friends of the Earth will continue to provide input and highlight gaps in the Climate Crisis Response and other documents and tools issued by the Council.