SOUTH Lakeland District Council is being asked to recognise climate change as an emergency.

Cllr Dyan Jones, SLDC’s cabinet member for the environment, is seeking support for the motion at a meeting of the full council in Kendal next Tuesday.

The motion states: “Council confirms that we are facing a climate emergency.

“Council now urges the Government to recognise this urgency and to work with local authorities, health services, businesses, consumers, farmers, educational institutions and all other interested bodies to reduce to zero as quickly as possible our carbon emissions and their equivalents.”

The motion cites a number of sources and statistics, including a United Nations Panel on climate change, the World Meteorological Organisation and the Met Office.

It states: “Council recognises that many organisations have been working hard locally and nationally to identify and address climate change in their own communities and with partners.

“However, the council believes action needs to happen faster. Business, as usual, is not enough and there is a growing urgency to implement these actions more rapidly.”

Council leader Cllr Giles Archibald, who heads up the Liberal Democrat administration in charge has recently put climate change at the top of the council’s agenda.

The council plans to explore how it can reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions and source cleaner energy. It also plans to reduce congestion and deal with fuel poverty across the district.

Measures to help travel and transport and waste production and disposal are also on the cards.

The plan is also set to be adopted at the full council meeting.

It reads: “South Lakeland District Council acknowledges that climate change is occurring, that man-made greenhouse gas emissions are a primary cause and that climate change will continue to have far-reaching effects on people and places, the economy, society and environment in the district, across the UK and across the world.

“South Lakeland District Council seeks to maximise the social, economic and environmental benefits which come from combating, and developing resilience to, climate change and developing a sustainable economy.

“South Lakeland District commits to playing its part in meeting emissions targets set internationally and through UK Carbon budgets.”

It said it plans to work with central government and neighbouring councils to contribute to reducing carbon dioxide, as set out in the UK Carbon budget by 2022.