Posted on: Monday 2 November 2020
From Monday 2nd to Friday 5th November, the Council will be sharing tips on how to live a more sustainable life to promote and support Wales Climate Week.
Last year, the Council declared a climate change emergency, acknowledging the real threat that climate change poses to both current and future generations. This is why we will shortly be engaging to find out what our residents think needs to be done to respond to, and also reduce the impact of climate change in Torfaen.
Council's along with other public bodies in Wales have a duty to improve long term well-being through the Well-being Future Generations Act and we need your help. The Council will be looking at its own estate, its energy consumption and production, how it manages and delivers services e.g. what vehicles it buys. We also want to look at what residents and communities can do for themselves and where they need the Councils help. A good example is the recent installation of electric charging points in some of our car parks. There is so much we need and can do, and working positively together will make all the difference.
When fossil fuels such as crude oil are burnt carbon dioxide is released, and this along with other man-made emissions is a greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gases trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere causing the climate to change. Human activity since the industrial period is a main cause of our changing climate.
Responding to the climate change emergency requires us to find new ways of doing things or doing different things. We will need to make some changes that will be challenging, but we realise they are important to ensure the long-term resilience of our services and the communities we serve.
Councillor Mandy Owen, executive member for the environment, said: "We will be looking at the actions we can take to reduce the council’s own carbon emissions, but we also want to hear about the actions you can take to help reduce Torfaen-wide emissions and what support is needed to turn the vision into a reality.
"We know our communities are very concerned about climate change, which is why we need to take action now. Climate change won’t wait.
"Everyone has a part to play – residents, businesses and the third sector - by reducing carbon emissions we can help reduce climate change.
“Keep your eye out for a link to our climate change consultation which we will be promoting through our social media channels and website."