Council votes to scrap net zero pledge
BBCA county council has revoked its net zero pledge, despite opposition from cross-party councillors and campaigners.
Reform UK councillors in County Durham moved to scrap the 2019 declaration, with an alternative social care pledge voted through.
Deputy council leader Darren Grimes, who brought the motion to revoke the climate vow, said: "We are done with expensive virtue-signalling tripe, and care about our residents."
Liberal Democrat Mark Wilkes said the council had saved £13m in the past year through climate-saving efficiencies and labelled the Reform motion "cynical and insulting".
The previous council environment pledge aimed to achieve net zero emissions by 2045. Net zero means no longer adding to the total amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Reform said the alternative "care emergency" declaration would help recognise the "critical and escalating crisis" in children's social care, including Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision.
Grimes added: "We seek to declare a real care emergency that's devouring our kids and coffers in tandem."
LDRSCampaigners gathered outside Durham County Hall before the vote to oppose the proposal.
Several banners and placards warned of the ongoing climate emergency, telling council leaders to "get your heads out of the sand".
Another message, held by one young boy, read: "If you care…allow me to have a future."
Durham County Council received a national award last year for its carbon reduction and was praised for its use of green technologies, including wind turbines, solar panels, and battery storage.
Wilkes said social care issues had "nothing whatsoever to do with climate change".
"It is our young people who are going to be most impacted by climate change, and indeed, the savings we have been making off the back of our action on the climate, including energy efficiency measures, is actually helping us to protect frontline social care services," he added.
Jonathan Elmer, Green Party councillor for Brandon, opposed the Reform plea and said: " If councillor Grimes really cared about SEND provision, he'd have brought this motion without reference to climate change.
"He'd have worked for cross-party consensus on it, he'd have looked to get ideas and input on how to improve the lives of SEND kids in County Durham from across this chamber.
"But instead, he's stoked controversy and division. Undoubtedly, many people will conclude it's the controversy that he really cares about."
Sixty-two Reform councillors voted to approve the motion, while seven from other parties voted against. There were 17 abstentions and 12 councillors were not present at the meeting, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
Reform renamed several key council departments in May, including removing references to climate change in one key cabinet portfolio.