National organisation slams Walsall Council for removing net zero pledge

A national environmental campaign group has criticised Walsall Council after it voted to remove its climate emergency declaration. 

At a meeting of full council on July 27, Reform leaders described the 2019 pledge to take action against global warming as ‘virtue signalling’. 

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But Climate Emergency UK has accused the council of hypocrisy as it said scrapping the move was ‘yet more virtue signalling’. 

Councillor Elaine Williams and Councillor Nicky Barker described the earlier pledge as performative and argued it hadn’t delivered benefits for Walsall taxpayers. 

But partnerships director for the Climate Emergency UK, Isaac Beevor, said now ‘wasn’t the time’ to remove targets, but to ‘redouble our efforts’. 

Walsall Council’s attempts to become net zero have so far scored a ‘miserable’ 23 per cent in the campaign group’s audit of local authorities.

Mr Beevor said: “Scrapping climate targets during a fourth major heatwave and as fires rage across the UK, France and Europe, is extreme and yet more virtue signalling. 

“Walsall Council lows in the scorecards because there hasn’t been the political will and national support to take further climate action. 

“This isn’t the time to scrap targets, it is the time to redouble our efforts so we can cut bills for residents, clean the air and make our local communities stronger and safer.”

Councillor Elaine Williams said: “A climate emergency declaration is not the only way to make progress. 

“What matters most is delivering tangible outcomes that improve everyday life for the people of Walsall and focusing our limited resources where they are most needed.”