SENIOR councillors have this week voted in favour of adopting a proposed climate and nature strategy for north Cumbria.

The decision was made at a meeting of Cumberland Council's executive committee at the Copeland Centre in Whitehaven on Tuesday (July 23).

However, ahead of the debate, the document was criticised by a member of the public, as well as a Green councillor, who insisted that it should be further reviewed and improved.

Green campaigner Julia Robinson said: "Given that the Cumberland draft climate and nature strategy states it will only ‘recognise’, and  ‘proactively engage with making Cumbria Carbon neutral’ by the Zero Carbon Cumbria net zero date of 2037, but has the ‘aim to make Cumberland an exemplar in presenting a clear and comprehensive set of policies and actions that will make a major impact on the fight against climate change’.

"It’s notable that it does not have a firm, agreed net zero date to guide its future actions: will the council executive demonstrate that it is ambitious in climate action, and in ‘leading by example’ by giving clarity to the people of the Cumberland area by formally agreeing to adopt the ZCCP goal of 2037?"

Councillor Bob Kelly (Millom, Labour), the portfolio holder for Cumberland policy and regulatory services, said it was important to keep the focus on the subject and added: "We are working closely with ZCCP to make the target."

He said that the document was a "work in progress" and added: "2037 is not going to be an easy target but it is important."

Ms Robinson highlighted the fact that Dumfries and Galloway had set 2033 as its target and had already reduced its emission and cllr Kelly said Cumberland Council was already doing a lot of important work towards achieving its own target.

Councillor Helen Davison (Belah, Green Party) asked: "Speaking about the most recent IPCC report from 2023, compiled by hundreds of the world’s leading climate scientists, the UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres said: 'This is a clarion call to massively fast-track climate efforts by every country and every sector and on every time-frame. Our world needs climate action on all fronts: everything, everywhere, all at once.'

"The key message coming out of this report is that only swift and drastic action will avert us from reaching a point of no return on the climate, with the increasing impact of irreversible damage this will bring.

"Cumbria, which has already suffered significant impacts of climate breakdown and is in line for things to only get worse if global temperatures continue rise. In response, the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership has set an ambitious and expert-assessed goal for net zero carbon emissions of 2037, to be achieved by challenging year on year reductions in carbon emissions.

"By contrast the council is on the verge of agreeing overall emission reductions of only two percent over the period from 2023 to 2027, with no discernible contribution from the major portion, scope three emissions* (which contribute to 91 percent of all council emissions) and is not setting out further plans on reduction targets until Autumn 2026.

"Given the clear urgency of action, would you explain why the council is looking to delay decisions on its own approach to more ambitious emission reductions, on all emission types, for over two years?”

Cllr Kelly said it was important to raise the issue but added that the council was powerless in certain areas, such as the supply chain, in reducing emissions in many ways.

Cllr Davison said that input from an advisory group had largely been ignored when compiling the draft strategy and any changes represented "minor tweaks". She added: "I feel we have not been meaningfully engaged."

She said that the document should be referred back to the advisory group which could work towards a "clear ambitious strategy".

However, cllr Kelly said the proposed strategy was a clear ambitious strategy and added: "We will work together so we can make our targets."

During the debate over the proposed draft strategy councillor Denise Rollo (Harrington, Labour), the portfolio holder for sustainable, resilient and connected places, said the county was already feeling the effects of climate change and that incidents of flooding were getting worse.

Cllr Kelly proposed that they vote in favour of a number of recommendations, including adopting the draft strategy, which was seconded by councillor Lisa Brown (Currock, Labour), the portfolio holder for adults and community health, and, when it was put to the vote, members unanimously agreed.