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23

Apr 2022

Last Updated: 22/04/2022
Environment
Environment

Coalition showcases election candidates’ views on climate change

by Tamsin O'Brien

| 23 Apr, 2022
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The environmental coalition has asked election candidates across North Yorkshire for their views on climate change. It's created a platform where people can see what the candidates say about a range of issues.

wind-turbines-wide-shot-2
Knabs Ridge wind farm, Pennypot Lane near Harrogate.

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:

“In my view it doesn’t look good if you can’t be bothered to respond to something that’s so much in the news at the moment, but candidates are not used to this type of survey.
“What we are trying to achieve is raise the profile of environment and climate issues and get candidates to understand these are important positions. They are going to be deciding on big issues such as the decarbonisation of North Yorkshire, so they need to be well informed.
“This is about raising the bar of our ambition, since the new council will have to rapidly steer a whole regional economy away from fossil fuels in order to meet our share of the national target of a 68 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030. That’s a gigantic challenge and a huge responsibility.”