To the people of Portsmouth.
Earlier this year, in March 2019, Portsmouth City Council declared a climate change emergency. We agree that we are in the middle of changes to our climate that pose threats to our health, our planet and our children’s and grandchildren’s future. We agree that there is no time to waste if we are to avoid the consequences of a rise in global warming above 1.5°C.
In response, we will be setting out a clear plan for how the local authority will reduce its carbon footprint, working to an ambitious target of carbon neutrality by 2030. We will formally adopt this plan for our organisation in the autumn, although we have already started taking steps to make a difference.
We want to lead the way as a greener, cleaner and safer city, as set out in our council priorities. With this in mind, I would like to invite you to join us on that journey in the coming months and years.
Will you support our ambition to achieve reductions in carbon, so that by 2030, Portsmouth’s carbon footprint is zero? Will you join with us to develop events and activities that will help inspire and motivate those who live, work and visit the city to share our vision?
I would welcome an opportunity to open a dialogue with you on this and see how your organisation could be involved. We would love to hear about your own plans for carbon reduction and ideas about how we can make Portsmouth one of the greenest cities in the world.
I would be delighted to hear about these by written response to this letter, or through a conversation with me or one of the officers working on this critically important issue. Please email me, and I will arrange this at your convenience.
If you want updates on our plans to take action against climate change, you can sign up for updates to be sent to your email inbox.
Thank you
Cllr David Ashmore
Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change