Notes from Sheffield FoE Local Group meeting - 21st December 2020 by Zoom
Attendees: June B, Richard S, Lindy S (chair), Liddy G, Julie A
Apologies: Helen F Sean A. Shaun R
Recent Local campaigning
MP meeting On 9th December, 12 Sheffield FoE members met with Gill Furniss MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough to present some of FoE’s ideas for a green recovery. We also considered Labour’s position on environmental issues and combatting the climate crisis and how we might work together locally and regionally. Gill was supportive of our work and subsequently thanked us for the ideas and time we had made available.
Sheffield City Region lobbying. We were signatories to a letter sent to Dan Jarvis, Mayor of South Yorkshire calling for greater attention to be paid to developing green policies and green jobs in the region. He had replied positively and the reply was shared. However, generally, it was felt that while Sheffield City Region showed ambition, actual commitment is thin.
Sheffield City Council meeting Lindy had attended and asked a question at a recent Sheffield Council Management & Oversight Scrutiny committee meeting which was receiving reports about progress with the action plan to address the climate emergency declared by the council in February 2019. Only two parts of the work had so far been completed but these were presented to the committee. The initial report on the current situation regarding carbon equivalent emissions and the report of the future if the situation was unmitigated were detailed. Committee members were interested in these but most expressed frustration that the report on what steps to take was not yet ready to be presented – this is due in mid/late January. Despite the lack of action, Lindy reported that all the councillors present were clearly well informed regarding the climate crisis and very much focused on taking the necessary action – and soon.
‘Create’ South Yorkshire event A further visioning session for the Climate Action Fund (CAF) project led by Sheffield Climate Alliance of which we are a member had taken place on 9th December. Richard & Lindy had both attended. The session was focussed on the sorts of action that could be taken across the region as we move towards a net zero carbon future. We await collated feedback from the various groups.
Ecological Emergency call: Lindy reported on plans to work together with Sheffield Green Parents and Sheffield Greenpeace to support Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust who are calling for the council to declare an ecological emergency. Lindy is liaising with the two campaigning groups but has unfortunately had slow response from S&R WT due to staff holidays. However, we agreed to launch a petition using the Action Network tool supporting this call.
Plans for 2021
January:
Green Resolutions to be a feature of Twitter & Facebook posts around the New Year
Launch a petition calling on the new leader of Sheffield City Council to declare an ecological emergency
Respond to the Council ‘Pathways to Decarbonisation’ plans
February:
27th February (with Rotherham Climate Action) an online event focusing on actions people can take to reduce their own/their community’s/their workplace’s carbon footprint
March:
Launch of the national Nature campaign by Friends of the Earth
July Schools Conference (online) organised by Schools Education South Yorkshire of which Sheffield FoE is a supporter.
November:
COP26
Next Local Group Meeting – 7:30 on 18th January 2021 – meeting on Zoom
Picture Source: Pixabay.com