This report sets out notices of motions ruled in order by the Mayor in consultation with the Chief Legal Officer.

Council received two Motions submitted under FCR 14 of Part 4 of the Council’s Constitution.

Motion 1: “Support the Climate and Ecological Emergency (CEE) Bill”

The Council resolved by a majority vote to consider this Motion at the meeting. In pursuance of the Council’s Rules of Procedure, Councillor Neil Dallen MOVED and Councillor Julie Morris SECONDED the following Motion:

“Humans have already caused irreversible climate change, the impacts of which are being felt in the UK and around the world.  Global temperatures have increased by 1.2°C from pre-industrial levels and the natural world has reached crisis point, with 28% of plants and animals currently threatened with extinction.

Unless we drastically change course, the world is set to exceed the Paris Agreement’s safe 1.5°C limit. Pledges like the Paris Agreement and updated emissions targets are not legally binding.  The gap between pledges and policies leaves the world on course for catastrophic warming of near 3%.  As the 2018 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) made clear, every half a degree makes a world of difference: severe climate impacts with 1.5°C of warming, such as extreme weather patterns causing flooding and heat waves, get significantly worse with 2°C.  According to the IPCC, limiting heating to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society, the private sector and local communities.  

The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world and more than one in seven of our plants and animals face extinction and more than 40% are in decline.  We have lost 95% of our hedgehogs.  The UK needs a legally-enforceable nature target so that by 2030 nature is visibly and measurably on the path of recovery, in line with the Global Goal for Nature and the Leaders' Pledge for Nature .  

Council notes that:

Many local authorities are playing an important role in the UK taking action to achieve net zero carbon emissions, and to protect and revitalise local wildlife and natural habitats.

Parliament in May 2019 declared an Environment and Climate Emergency.

There is a Bill before Parliament—the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill (published as the “Climate and Ecology Bill”), which, if it became law, would require the government to develop a strategy to address the emergency. For more information visit web site www.ceebill.uk.

Council therefore resolves to:

1.    Support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill through the Council’s Climate Change Action Plan;

2.    Write an open letter to Chris Grayling MP (shared with our residents through local and social media) urging them to sign up to support the Bill, or thanking them for doing so; and

3.    Write to the CEE Bill Alliance, the organisers of the campaign for the Bill, expressing its support (joinus@ceebill.uk).”

A correction to resolution 2 of the Motion was provided by Councillor Neil Dallen. This read as follows (corrections marked in bold):

“2. Write an open letter to Chris Grayling MP (shared with our residents through local and social media) urging him to sign up to support the Bill, or thanking him for doing so; and”

Upon being put the motion was CARRIED with a majority vote for it.

Accordingly the Council resolved:

Humans have already caused irreversible climate change, the impacts of which are being felt in the UK and around the world.  Global temperatures have increased by 1.2°C from pre-industrial levels and the natural world has reached crisis point, with 28% of plants and animals currently threatened with extinction.

Unless we drastically change course, the world is set to exceed the Paris Agreement’s safe 1.5°C limit. Pledges like the Paris Agreement and updated emissions targets are not legally binding.  The gap between pledges and policies leaves the world on course for catastrophic warming of near 3%.  As the 2018 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) made clear, every half a degree makes a world of difference: severe climate impacts with 1.5°C of warming, such as extreme weather patterns causing flooding and heat waves, get significantly worse with 2°C.  According to the IPCC, limiting heating to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society, the private sector and local communities.  

The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world and more than one in seven of our plants and animals face extinction and more than 40% are in decline.  We have lost 95% of our hedgehogs.  The UK needs a legally-enforceable nature target so that by 2030 nature is visibly and measurably on the path of recovery, in line with the Global Goal for Nature and the Leaders' Pledge for Nature .  

Council notes that:

Many local authorities are playing an important role in the UK taking action to achieve net zero carbon emissions, and to protect and revitalise local wildlife and natural habitats.

Parliament in May 2019 declared an Environment and Climate Emergency.

There is a Bill before Parliament—the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill (published as the “Climate and Ecology Bill”), which, if it became law, would require the government to develop a strategy to address the emergency. For more information visit web site www.ceebill.uk.

Council therefore resolves to:

1.    Support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill through the Council’s Climate Change Action Plan;

2.    Write an open letter to Chris Grayling MP (shared with our residents through local and social media) urging him to sign up to support the Bill, or thanking him for doing so; and

3.    Write to the CEE Bill Alliance, the organisers of the campaign for the Bill, expressing its support (joinus@ceebill.uk).

Motion 2: “Repair café”

The Council resolved by a majority vote to consider this Motion at the meeting. In pursuance of the Council’s Rules of Procedure, Councillor Arthur Abdulin MOVED and Councillor Previn Jagutpal SECONDED the following Motion:

“Epsom Repair Café’s purpose is to protect and safeguard the environment for the public benefit through the promotion of repair and re-use of products as a means of preventing and minimising waste disposal.

Epsom Repair Café was due to launch in January but Covid restrictions have delayed the launch. Repair cafes started in the Netherlands and have spread into many countries.

Their aim is to support reduction in waste by repairing items rather than seeing them thrown away. They are run entirely by keen volunteers who in many cases are also experienced and competent technicians.

Council notes that:

a)    Epsom Repair Café is a registered charity with the charity commission;

b)    Epsom Repair Café aims to be self-financing and has already been sponsored financially by both Go Epsom (the Epsom BID) and Suez (who run SCC waste disposal)

c)    Epsom Repair café has over 30 volunteers and supporters from the local community.

Council therefore resolves to:

       i.       Recognise and encourage the Epsom Repair Café as a part of its climate change action plan;

     ii.        Endorse and approve the work of the Epsom Repair Café

Upon being put the motion was CARRIED with a majority vote for it.

Accordingly the Council resolved:

Epsom Repair Café’s purpose is to protect and safeguard the environment for the public benefit through the promotion of repair and re-use of products as a means of preventing and minimising waste disposal.

Epsom Repair Café was due to launch in January but Covid restrictions have delayed the launch. Repair cafes started in the Netherlands and have spread into many countries.

Their aim is to support reduction in waste by repairing items rather than seeing them thrown away. They are run entirely by keen volunteers who in many cases are also experienced and competent technicians.

Council notes that:

a)    Epsom Repair Café is a registered charity with the charity commission;

b)    Epsom Repair Café aims to be self-financing and has already been sponsored financially by both Go Epsom (the Epsom BID) and Suez (who run SCC waste disposal)

c)    Epsom Repair café has over 30 volunteers and supporters from the local community.

Council therefore resolves to:

      i.        Recognise and encourage the Epsom Repair Café as a part of its climate change action plan;

     ii.        Endorse and approve the work of the Epsom Repair Café.

Following the Council’s resolutions with regard to the above Motions, Councillor Eber Kington raised a point of order relating to the procedure followed in response to a proposed amendment to Motion 1. Councillor Kington stated that the movement of an amendment to Motion 1 had not been permitted during debate as it had not been submitted in advance of the meeting in writing, but that there was not a requirement within the Constitution that amendments to Motions had to be submitted in such a manner. The Mayor noted Councillor Kington’s comments.