On Tuesday 18th June, in declaring a “Climate Emergency”. This was a welcome symbolic step forward for the city. Unfortunately, Coventry failed to set out a meaningful target for climate change, as the council resolved to “recommend the course of action that we are currently undertaking”. Jim O’Boyle praised Coventry’s record on climate change, but falls in greenhouse gas emissions have been small and mostly due to rising poverty and deindustrialisation. Transport emissions remain stubbornly high, and the city’s highest source of greenhouse emissions comes from food.
Coventry needs to follow Birmingham’s lead and set out a target for net zero by at least 2030. In our proposed motion we set out a manifesto for achieving this target.
How will this be funded? Clearly government need to play their part, but the council also needs to follow Birmingham in calling for the West Midlands Pension Fund to divest from oil and gas companies that are pouring billions into exploring for more fossil fuels when they already have excessive reserves. These funds could benefit local green projects and divestment would send a strong signal to the global investment community that we cannot continue to bankroll climate destruction.
Divest West Midlands 