I can’t say how much carbon has been avoided or sequestered, or how much good the Climate Emergency Declarations will ultimately do. But they did something and opened the path to further action.
SEVERAL Green Party councillors want West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin to pause road building schemes following a government Uturn on the matter nationally. Leading these calls is Tong Councillor Matt Edwards. His ward has two of the largest schemes being funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) – Tong Valley Road and the widening of A650 at Tong Street. Earlier this month, Green Party councillors from Bradford, Leeds and Kirklees sent a letter to the mayor asking her to announce a review of the road building schemes being funded by WYCA. Last Wednesday, the government’s transport decarbonisation plan was published and contained a pledge to review Britain’s national £27bn road building strategy following legal action by Transport Action Network.