Green to Our Core

Today’s contribution to THE FUTURE WE WANT series is by Cllr Bridget Smith, Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council. Bridget has been the leader of Council since 2018 and sits on the boards of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and the Cambridge Growth Company’s Advisory Council.

The consultation on a new Climate and Nature Strategy for South Cambridgeshire District Council provides clear support for recent press reports that show governments worldwide are systematically underestimating the level of public concern over the effects of climate change. This translates into the rowing back of policy and focus we are seeing nationally, which is moving this country from being at the forefront of climate mitigation and adaptation to an “also ran”. 

South Cambridgeshire is a large rural district with an historic natural capital deficit in terms of tree cover and managed spaces for nature. Additionally, the crisis of water scarcity is already stopping development in and around Cambridge City, which is the focus of both the current and the last government for nationally significant economic and housing growth.

Back in 2018, when the Liberal Democrats took over control of the Council, our manifesto included the ambition to be “Green to Our Core”, with the intention of demonstrating through all our actions and policies that we could be the “greenest” district council in England. Climate change and environmental considerations are now fully embedded in everything we do.

I believe that this ambition has had a knock-on effect on the communities we have supported with a generous programme of grants and resources aimed at increasing biodiversity and moving even the smallest village towards zero carbon.

It was really encouraging to see, through the consultation, that only 13% of respondents were unconcerned about the impacts of climate change, and that biodiversity and loss of nature were their biggest concerns, followed by water scarcity. Water supply and heat were the dominant concerns for the next five years, with just about everyone mentioning one or both.

Anticipation and worry about the rising costs of food, water and energy were widespread, and climate change anxiety was clearly articulated. The personal actions that 80% of respondents were taking were also encouraging, and ranged from reducing air and car travel, to routinely recycling, reusing and installing energy efficiency measures. Additionally, many expressed concern for those in vulnerable groups such as renters and the low paid.

There was a clear call for stronger and more coordinated action from local authorities, which brings me to the point that we in local government are crying out for the powers, freedoms and means to be able to do more, but cannot without legislative changes from central government.

It is shameful that we are still building homes, offices and factories that will have to be retrofitted in a few years’ time, and that we continue to promote car use over sustainable public transport and active travel.

South Cambridgeshire’s emerging Local Plan aims to create truly sustainable communities which are linked through active and public transport to places of work, education, health and leisure, and where car use is deemed unnecessary and even undesirable. But we want to go so much further and insist that all new homes are built to the highest energy efficiency standards, with photovoltaics and water conservation as standard, the very best in insulation, passive heating and passive ventilation.

Importantly, this is not just about the climate; it is also about the cost of living and health and wellbeing. By building homes which are genuinely energy efficient and by creating well-connected places, we immediately reduce the financial burden on people and encourage them to be active.

Regrettably, we see the government stripping back powers from councils, rather than prioritising delivering high-quality housing and places that enhance people’s lives as well as our environment.

I live in hope that at some point this government wakes up to what really matters to people, and most especially to the young people who are our future and for whom my generation has created the climate crisis we now face.