Ryan Priest lays out the Lib Dem's Plan for a Greener Dudley

"Climate change is greatest threat to life on earth that our species has ever faced, and it is the responsibility for us to act at every level of society, including local government, in order to ensure that the next generation is not the last generation.

The Coronavirus pandemic has shown that when faced with a existential threat our society is able to respond, but unlike Covid-19, the climate emergency has crept up on politics and our institutions have been slow to respond where they have responded at all.

Just as it is important for government and indivuduals to adapt to do ways of doing things, it is also important for local government to do the same.

Dudley's record on climate change is apaulling, the failure of the two old parties to take action decades ago has led to us being considered one of the worst performing councils for envrionmental issues.

So on World Environment Day 2020, I'm laying out my party's plan for a greener borough.

As a matter of urgency, Dudley Council must:

1. Ban the sale of single-use plastic on council premises
2. Ensure all future housing developments and larger retail developments in Dudley are carbon neutral
3. Retofit Dudley's existing social housing to ensure they are as close to carbon neutral possible
4. Permenantly pedstrianise Stourbridge high street, with exceptions for goods and those with disabilities
5. Introduce a Biodiversity Restoration plan, which would see Dudley's green spaces protected from development, a reduction in the use of pesticides, and widespread planting of wildflowers.
6. Provide SME extra funds and expertise needed to reduce their carbon footprint
7. Work with the WMCA, Nation Express West Midlands, West Midlands Railway, and other local councils to ensure that petrol and diesel forms of transport are phased out and replaced with fully electric modes of transport"

Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for the Climate Emergency and Environment said:

"We need to act now to protect our precious planet for future generations. Protecting nature has got to be at the heart of any plan to tackle the climate crisis.

"Despite the fact that we're hosting the COP-26 conference next year, the Conservative Government has not shown enough ambition when it comes to protecting and restoring nature right here in the UK. We need to see legally binding targets for water and air quality and other key measures.

"Robust action is the only way to achieve the long-lasting change we so urgently need."