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23
Apr 2022
Coalition showcases election candidates’ views on climate change
An ensemble of environmental groups has created an online platform where people can see the North Yorkshire Council election candidates’ views on climate change.
North Yorkshire Climate Coalition hopes it will provide clarity to voters over key issues facing the county such as fracking and pollution.
In what is believed to be the first pre-election survey of its kind in the county, all the candidates contesting to serve a five-year term on the new unitary authority have been asked to respond to up to ten questions.
The coalition represents a wide range of community-based interest associations spread across the county, such as Brandsby Women’s Institute, Thirsk Churches Ecology Group, Clapham Sustainability Group and Zero Carbon Harrogate, to CPRE North and East Yorkshire, Thirsk Friends of the Earth and climate action groups for Stokesley, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Nidderdale and Northallerton.
The incoming 90 councillors will make decisions over the extent to which the county’s greenfield sites should be developed – an issue which has generated significant debate in the Harrogate district.
The groups hopes it will help focus candidates’ minds on the damage being caused to the natural world.
On a website launched this week, nyclimatecoalition.org, voters can view how and whether candidates in each of the 89 divisions responded to questions such as what role the region should play in creating energy from onshore wind and solar farms and fracking.
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Candidates were also being challenged to state how the new council should tackle the county’s biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions – transport, agriculture and domestic energy.
David Tonge, of Thirsk Friends of the Earth said numerous candidates had already responded to the survey.
He said:
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