URGENT action is needed to address a global climate emergency, a councillor has warned.

Blackburn with Darwen Council finances chief, Cllr Andy Kay, is asking his colleagues to declare a climate emergency and commit to a target of making Blackburn with Darwen carbon neutral by 2030.

His motion will go before council forum next week.

It follows a decision by Burnley Council to pass a similar motion by the Green Party, with the wheels now in motion to create a mixed working group of residents and councillors to help guide the council towards greener initiatives and make sure residents are involved in the process of bringing about changes in their area.

Cllr Kay said: “Humans have already caused irreversible climate change, the impacts of which are being felt around the world.

“Global temperatures have already increased by 1oC from pre-industrial levels. Atmospheric CO2 levels are above 400 parts per million (ppm). The latest report from the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in October 2018 gave us 12 years to implement changes to keep global warming to a maximum of 1.5°C in order to avoid widespread drought, food scarcity, heat related deaths and loss of biodiversity including insects and vital food crop pollinators.

“At present the world is on track to overshoot the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C limit before 2050. In order to reduce the chance of runaway global warming and limit the effects of climate breakdown, it is imperative that we as a species reduce our CO2e (carbon equivalent) emissions from their current 6.5 tonnes per person per year to less than 2 tonnes as soon as possible.

“Individuals cannot be expected to make this reduction on their own. Society needs to change its laws, taxation, and infrastructure to make low carbon living easier and the new norm.

“Carbon emissions result from both production and consumption.

“Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council has already made some positive progress, but this is not enough. More can and must be done. The Independent Panel on Climate Change in its Oct. 2018 report was very clear that action from all parts of society is necessary and local government has a responsibility to lead the way.

“Town and city councils around the world are responding by declaring a ‘Climate Emergency’ and taking action to address this emergency.”

Green Party councillor in Burnley, Cllr Andy Fewings, said: "This is not about paying lip service to protecting the environment. We need to see meaningful change in the council’s policies including supplementary planning guidance as lots of housing is not fit for purpose which is exacerbating fuel poverty.

"My motion is a sea change, and we are putting green issues, quite rightly, at the top of the agenda. I thank my fellow councillors for supporting me in doing that."