| Cambridge City Council | |
|---|---|
| Polling Date: | 2nd May 2019 |
| Ward: | Castle |
| Candidates (by surname): | Greg Chadwick (Liberal Democrat) Matthew GREEN (Green Party) Isabel LAMBOURNE (Labour Party) Oliver RILEY (Conservative Party) |
Question 1
Do you agree that elected officials should now be responding to climate change as an emergency? Please answer yes or no. If ‘yes’, what do you mean by this? If ‘no’, why not?
Greg Chadwick (Liberal Democrat Yes, absolutely. According to the IPCC we must act within the next 12 years to keep temperature rises within 1.5 degrees and this is a call we must heed. It may be challenging to take the required action and we may not have a full plan for the next 12 years right now but that's no excuse for not taking action. We cannot wait for national government to do so; we must take whatever action we can at a local level whilst continuing to campaign for similar action at a national level.
Matthew GREEN (Green Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Isabel LAMBOURNE (Labour Party) Yes definitely. Scientific experts have proved that this is a climate emergency and could be irreversible – reach a ‘tipping point’ within 12 years. National governments are responding too slowly and overall carbon emissions continue to increase.
Elected officials should be reducing their own carbon footprint and that of the body they are elected to. We need to investigate ways to convert to carbon neutral technologies and also plan ahead adaptation to limit the detrimental effects felt by residents such as with increased drainage and flood defences.
Oliver RILEY (Conservative Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Question 2
Do you support the setting of a net zero carbon target for the city of Cambridge? If ‘Yes’ when do you think we should be aiming for Cambridge to be net zero carbon? If ‘no’, why not?
Greg Chadwick (Liberal Democrat Yes we should aim for a target of 2030. Cambridge must do its bit to help achieve the global reduction of net CO2 emissions required to keep global temperature rise within 1.5 degrees. Our manifesto pledges to set a 2030 target and my Lib Dem Colleagues attempted to do so at the February 21st City Council meeting. I was disappointed to see Labour leave the target at 2050. There is no use in declaring an emergency if you don't do anything about it!
Matthew GREEN (Green Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Isabel LAMBOURNE (Labour Party) Yes I support Cambridge having a zero-carbon target.
The current target is 2050 and I support the council’s plan to establish a Cambridge Climate Charter to plan for how the city can be zero-carbon by 2030 or sooner.
To be zero carbon will require legislation and funding from government plus increased cooperation from the County Council and Combined Authority. If I am elected I hope to campaign on facilitating the role-out of electric vehicles with infrastructure and funding, improving public transport, support for encouraging cycling and uptake of green energy provision for residents, increase water recycling measures, consider ways to further streamline other recycling and in particular fridges which contain CFCs which are highly damaging for the environment.
Oliver RILEY (Conservative Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Question 3
Cambridge City Council is a central organisation in Cambridge. What do you think its role is in local leadership in relation to climate action? What specific additional actions in relation to climate change do you support the City Council doing in the coming 12 months?
Greg Chadwick (Liberal Democrat) By taking a strong stance in achieving carbon neutral Cambridge by 2030 the Council can lead by example and encourage others to follow. The Council should start by reviewing it's 2016-21 climate change strategy in light of the latest IPCC report using the latest local data available. It should invest in energy saving measures across its property portfolio, not only to reduce the carbon it is responsible for generating but also as an example for businesses and residents to follow.
Pushing for cleaner air also helps achieve our carbon neutral goal. A strategy can be developed for electric car charging across the city to increase electric vehicle take up and we should push the Greater Cambridge Partnership to introduce electric busses. Improved cycle provision and improved public transportation will help reduce car usage.
The council should explore introducing weekly food waste collections and renew public education on why we need recycling and how it works in Cambridge to increase the level of recycling from residents.
Matthew GREEN (Green Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Isabel LAMBOURNE (Labour Party) The City Council has a leadership role within the city, leading by example in it’s own actions, through working with partners and other organisations in the city, for example through the Climate Leaders event that they run and also as a voice for the city calling on government to do more such as with the recent Charter for Cleaner Air which if acted on by government would have a really positive effect on reducing climate change. Plus the declaration of a Climate emergency calling on government to take the necessary action to enable Cambridge and all other cities in the UK to become zero-carbon.
I support the City Council reducing their own emissions whilst maintaining services to residents such as collecting waste and recycling, running swimming pools, sheltered housing and temporary housing. Also to plant a lot more trees. I support the work the City council are doing to install solar panels on many public buildings, and retain their energy supply from carbon neutral energy tariff. Also to make Council homes sustainable and energy efficient,
I support the work done to install charge points for electric vehicles and convert their fleet of vehicles to electric ones. To also work with the County Council to move toward converting all buses to fully electric ones.
I support the council’s new Climate change charter and I will be signing up with my own carbon reduction pledges plus asking my employer to sign up.
The City Council can help to communicate and advertise practical ways people can reduce their carbon footprint and try to reduce that of organisations they are involved with.
I am calling on Central Government to exert its influence to make available pension funds which invest largely in green energy production, technologies and reforestation programs.
Oliver RILEY (Conservative Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Question 4
Green spaces and trees remove carbon dioxide and other pollutants from the atmosphere, provide shade, help reduce flooding and often contribute to a feeling of well being. Would you support a more ambitious tree planting programme in Cambridge city? Also, suggestions have been made recently to create new areas of woodland around Cambridge. Would you support ambitious tree planting programmes around Cambridge city?
Greg Chadwick (Liberal Democrat) Yes, trees form a vital part of achieving net zero carbon as well help in the longer term if and when net zero carbon is achieved to continue pulling carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. The Lib Dems would secure a net positive annual target for trees on council managed land and would insist on significant tree planting on any new development creating new areas of woodland.
Public green space gives a fantastic place for residents to relax and enjoy their city. This can help generate support, enthusiasm and interest for further climate action measures. Children can be engaged through a Children's Tree Scheme that gift trees to year 4 pupils for planting in their own garden.
Matthew GREEN (Green Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Isabel LAMBOURNE (Labour Party) I support the Labour group’s ambitious tree planting scheme which the council is currently working on. This involves increasing tree cover from 15% to 17% across the city, and ‘trees for babies’ scheme. We want to plant over 500 trees a year and working with schools, and home owners, to find good locations.
I would also support the planting of new areas of woodland.
Trees are an essential part of the planning for any new development, aesthetically and for air quality and sense of well being. We need to invest further in planting and maintaining them. We need to consider and increase public knowledge of how trees close to buildings can be maintained so that roots do not damage underground pipes or cause other problems.
Oliver RILEY (Conservative Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Question 5
Finally, do you know the size of your own Carbon Footprint? Can you identify one thing you’d like to change but haven’t yet managed to move your own carbon footprint towards zero carbon?
Greg Chadwick (Liberal Democrat) I've explored my carbon footprint in a few online calculators. As I cycle as my main mode of daily transportation total proportion from transportation isn't too high around 15%. If I used my car less for long distance journeys I could reduce that.
A larger proportion, around 20%, comes from food. Whilst I am a meat eater my partner is vegan so much of my diet is plant based. I should focus more of buying local/in season produce to help reduce my carbon footprint from food.
Matthew GREEN (Green Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Isabel LAMBOURNE (Labour Party) I cycle, walk and take the train as part of my usual lifestyle – I do not own a car. I purchase my home electricity supply from Green Star Energy’s zero carbon emission tariff. I eat meat less than once per month.
I would like to have a pension that invested only in green energy – there are none available currently – if you know of one please let me know.
I make an average of 6 single journeys by air each year and would like to fund the development of technology that could make public air travel carbon neutral. I would like to see alternatives found to plastic food packaging. I would like to have water recycling that could use waste water filtered from kitchen for toilet flushing for example.
I would like all trains and buses to be made fully electric and the National Grid to be converted to zero carbon emission energy production technologies.
I intend to organise a seminar in Castle that can explore questions and suggest practical solutions and how we can exert an influence on the current Central government. To work towards achieving carbon neutrality much sooner than would happen with legislation and policy as it is now from the current Central government.
Oliver RILEY (Conservative Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire