ECO-CHIEFS at Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) are asking residents for their ideas on how to protect the environment.
This comes as opposition councillors attacked WBC for its progress with developing a climate emergency action plan.
The authority wants to be carbon neutral by 2030 but before it presents its action plan to reduce its carbon footprint in January 2020, bosses also want more tips and hints from businesses, schools, charities and more.
Councillor Gregor Murray, climate emergency lead at WBC, said: “We’ve committed as a council to become carbon neutral by 2030, but we can’t do it alone.
“We have a lot of very smart residents in the borough who are already trying to reduce their carbon footprint and we want to tap into their knowledge and expertise.
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“Even if you think someone else might have already submitted an idea, don’t let that stop you. If we get lots of people submitting the same idea, that tells us how important it is.”
A consultation where residents are able to submit their ideas is now open and runs until December 31.
Eliminating single-use plastics is one way WBC is tackling the issue, and earlier this month a water fountain was installed in the town centre.
Cllr Murray (Conservative) told councillors how WBC is progressing with its climate emergency action plan at a meeting last week, but came in for criticism from some members not convinced the authority has ‘big ideas’ to cut carbon emissions.
After a meeting of WBC’s audit committee earlier this week, Labour councillor Rachel Burgess told the News she was ‘astonished’ climate emergency had not been added to the council’s risk register, which is a list of the greatest risks the authority faces.
She said: “Put simply, if an item is not on the council’s risk register it will not receive enough attention from officers, it will not receive enough resources and, crucially, it will not receive enough visibility and prioritisation at senior levels.
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“Becoming carbon neutral by 2030 is a massive challenge for the Borough. It will require radical changes in how we live and, in particular, how we travel.
“So far, we have not heard one, not even one, credible idea to help the borough bring about the massive scale of change needed.
“The Leader of the Council and the Executive member have had five months to add the climate emergency to the risk register.
“That they have not done so could be sheer incompetence. Another conclusion is that the Tories are merely paying lip service to the climate emergency for political gain.”
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Cllr Murray responded to Cllr Burgess' comments, claiming she may have "misinterpreted" the risk register.
He added: "The risk register is not a mechanism to publicise projects or apply for funding at the council. Most council projects do not appear in the risk register, yet they go on to receive the full attention of senior officers and receive sufficient resources.
"The risk register will automatically pick up elements of climate change, which in a worst case scenario, might impact the council’s services and require adaptive measures – this would include issues such as droughts or flooding.
"The council's ambition to become climate neutral by 2030 has been well communicated to council officers who have welcomed the challenge and are giving it their highest priority."
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