ILKLEY Town Council has passed a resolution to support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill.

This is due to have its second reading in the UK Parliament at Westminster later in the year.

The Bill requires the Government to ensure the UK plays its fair and proper role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to ensure that UK consumption emissions are properly accounted for. It also demands the protection and restoration of biodiverse habitats along overseas supply chains. It would establish a Citizen’s Assembly to engage with Parliament to fulfil an emergency strategy on climate and biodiversity.

The Town Council will now write to Ilkley’s MP Robbie Moore to ask him to support the Bill when it comes before Parliament, and will add its name to the list of Councils supporting the Bill that is being compiled by the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill Alliance.

Ilkley Town Mayor Councillor Mark Stidworthy said: “In its Climate Emergency Declaration of December 2019, Ilkley Town Council resolved to call on the UK Government to provide the powers and resources to make a target of carbon neutrality by 2030 possible. Councillors have judged that this new resolution is consistent with that process of calling the Government to account on behalf of local people.”

Deputy Mayor Cllr Ros Brown agreed, saying: “The Climate Emergency is an issue too urgent for us to ignore. As a Town Council we are eager that the Government takes every measure to enable us nationally, and locally, to deal with the twin dangers of greenhouse gases and declining biodiversity.”