Cllr Giles Archibald, Leader of South Lakeland District Council talks all thing green.

Seventy one per cent of the district, county and equivalent local councils in Britain - and at least 1,700 local authorities worldwide - have declared a climate emergency. Many, like South Lakeland District Council, have detailed action plans.

The Prime Minister has just announced a major initiative on windfarms and Prince William is linking up with Sir David Attenborough to encourage innovation in tackling climate change. Thankfully a lot of people are taking climate change very seriously. I’ll keep my fingers crossed Joe Biden wins the forthcoming election so the US can resume global leadership on this critical issue.

Once we have gone through the COVID crisis and sorted Brexit, I’m hopeful the EU and UK can also provide strong leadership. Because that is what we need.

Locally, a lot is happening. We now know in detail the breakdown of Cumbria’s carbon footprint and there is a plan that tells us how we can achieve net carbon zero by 2037. Cumbria Action for Sustainability was recently awarded a grant of £2.5m for climate action projects.

Happily, the activity is also occurring at community levels. Ambleside Action for a Future has ambition to achieve net zero for the town, which may include a community energy scheme. Grange-over-Sands had a wonderful Climate Change exhibition, which we can hopefully showcase more widely once COVID restrictions are lifted. Ulverston had a great climate day, and Kendal has helped to sponsor an online Citizens Jury.

Simply Repair South Lakes, whose aims including reducing waste, is setting up a directory of businesses which repair clothes, small electricals, furniture, toys and other household items. Listing in the directory is free – ring 07854 751160.

The district council has a 50-point action plan, which includes solar panelling buildings, installing EV charging points, tree planting and an innovation fund to provide financial support to local initiatives.

This is fantastic progress, but we need to keep going. It will take a lot of effort to get to net zero. You can help, perhaps by joining a group like South Lakeland Action on Climate Change, or downloading the Giki app that tells you the environmental impact of your purchases, or by simply directing your smart phone to ping you news items on climate change.

Also don't forget to write to your councillors and MP. We read your messages and welcome your input.