Camden Council is seeking ideas on how to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the borough ahead of a “citizens assembly” to debate the issue and publication of an “environmental plan” in 2020.
Councillor Adam Harrison, cabinet member for a sustainable camden, said: “We are asking residents, businesses, environmental groups, our voluntary and community organisations — and anyone who cares about the climate crisis — to share their ideas, thoughts and suggestions for change via our Commonplace platform. This platform will give experts the opportunity to support the work of the citizens with technical information, ideas, solutions and inspiration.
“We need to make changes at every level. You can submit ideas to the Citizens’ Assembly on how CO2 emissions can be reduced at four different scales: ‘At home’, ‘In my neighbourhood’, ‘My council’ and ‘My country’,” he says.
A Camden Citizens’ Assembly will meet across three sessions in July, assisted by Professor Mark Maslin from University College London, community energy leaders 10:10, environmental building experts and local green groups. It will coincide with the Mayor of London’s first ever London Climate Action Week which will take place between 1-8 July 2019. Farhana Yamin from Extinction Rebellion will be joining Councillor Leader Georgia Gould to open the Citizens’ Assembly on the climate crisis.
Camden says the borough has reduced its CO2 emissions by 32 percent since 2010.
But community groups in Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia say the council is failing to implement its existing policies on reducing emissions from traffic and drivers idling their engines when parked.
Camden has declined to review free out-of-hours parking in Fitzrovia to discourage people from driving into the neighbourhood in the evenings and on Sundays. A council officer told the Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Association that converting existing single yellow lines to double yellow lines which would remove most of the free parking was a “disproportionately broad response to solve some very localised problems”.
However, according to a report by Camden in May this year the transport sector contributes less than 15 percent of borough CO2 emissions, behind residential and commercial emissions.
Camden now wants people to use a new website to give their views on how to tackle CO2 emissions in the borough: https://camdenclimateassembly.commonplace.is/
The Citizens’ Assembly meetings will take place as follows:
Monday, 1 July 2019 (6-9pm), Swiss Cottage Library: Setting the scene and brief for the Citizen’s Assembly.
Thursday, 11 July 2019 (6-9pm), Wac Arts Centre: Sharing ideas and discussing pathways for the future.
Saturday, 20 July 2019 (all day), Wac Arts Centre: Main deliberation and drawing up of proposals.