COP26: What needs to happen in the Royal Borough after summit?

Royal Borough figures have expressed a desire for change at a local level in light of the ongoing COP26 summit in Glasgow this month.

The UK is hosting the landmark event until November 12 as world leaders meet in the Scottish city to work out how to combat the climate emergency.

Dave Scarbrough set up the RBWM Climate Community group to address the issue in the borough and encourage people to reduce their footprint.

Under the brand ‘COPtober’, he and other green groups across Windsor and Maidenhead have joined forces to host a series of local green events alongside COP26.

“It is good that our leaders have got together and are making some commitments, but the important thing is not just words – but actions,” Dave said.

He added that he was disappointed the COP26 agenda does not discuss people’s diets, with the food we eat contributing significantly to the world’s emissions.

Dave (below) said that a recent film screening at Norden Farm of the environmental documentary ‘Eating Our Way to Extinction’ as part of COPtober highlighted a need to focus on how humans consume food.

“The biggest thing I am hoping [from COP26] is that there is some awareness amongst everyone that we need action, and we can all make a contribution,” said Dave.

“I hope that what is happening at COP26 and what we are doing in COPtober will have an influence.”

More emphasis is on central Government to help local councils make a difference to the climate in their areas, he added, while businesses should also be educated about how to grow a green economy.

Councillor Joshua Reynolds (Lib Dem, Furze Platt) said that the climate should be considered within ‘everything that we do’.

“It is all good standing up and making speeches, but what we need to see coming from that is change,” he said.

Cllr Reynolds raised concerns over the eco-friendly nature of some building developments across Maidenhead, and thinks the Government need to tighten up on green planning policies.

He also warned the council not to contradict themselves following COP26 by going through with developments on prominent green sites such as Maidenhead Golf Course.

Cllr Wisdom Da Costa (West Windsor Residents' Association, Clewer and Dedworth West) thinks the borough should do three things if ‘it is serious about tackling climate change’ following COP26.

He said that it should ‘tear up’ its draft corporate plan - which was recently agreed at cabinet - and ‘start again’, putting more emphasis on the climate.

The authority should upgrade its infrastructure to make it greener, while Cllr Da Costa also called on the council to create a climate-focused ‘supplementary planning document’.

This would support the Borough Local Plan and ensure future developments do not hinder climate targets.

Cllr Da Costa said. “The council need to pull their finger out. It is down to us now – the politicians are not listening.”

The leader of the local independent group, Cllr Lynne Jones (Old Windsor Residents' Association, Old Windsor), is expecting change to take some time but thinks more should be done at a local level to improve the planet's future. 

"Change takes a while to put in place; you can see that from some of the countries [at COP26] saying that they are not going to zero-carbon by 2070. It is just ridiculous," she said.

"I find that that is the culture within the borough as well. It is like they are not doing enough now."

Cllr Jones added that preserving green spaces and ensuring developments include green spaces is paramount, with access to nature and fresh air made even more pertinent following the pandemic.

"Green space and zero carbon - it goes hand in hand," she said, adding that the Royal Borough's transport system also needs an uplift to encourage people away from their cars, with cheaper fares a good place to start.

The independent councillor was also unsure about the amount of building development planned in the area and how sustainable these are likely to be.

"That has all got to come from central Government," she said. "They should be saying that all future developments have got to include solar panels or air source heat pumps. That is not something we can do, that's at a national level."

Above: Climate protesters from the RBWM Climate Emergency Coalition group outside Maidenhead Town Hall

Cllr Jones expressed a desire for the Royal Borough to lobby Boris Johnson's Government to bring about these kind of green requirements, and hinted that there are things that can be done at a local level to lower the council's climate footprint.

Investing in solar panels for existing council-owned buildings could be an option, she suggested, while working from home for a portion of the week could also continue for firms able to do so.

"I think we are getting there, but we are not there yet," Cllr Jones added. "I don't think everybody has quite realised that this needs to be looked at now, not in three years time. We have run out of time.

"Listening to the Prime Minister, he said that as well. So if he is saying that, then hopefully the policies will follow."

The council’s lead member for climate change, Cllr Donna Stimson (Con, St Mary’s), is in Glasgow for the summit, and said that sustainability will always ‘come first’ in the borough.

She added that the mood feels better in Scotland than the previous summit in Madrid, with Government’s ‘coming to the table’ and recognising the climate problem.

Cllr Stimson (below) also claimed that the creation of the upcoming Royal Borough ‘climate partnership’ will help ensure the council can tackle the emergency.

This partnership – agreed at cabinet in September – will bring together organisations to oversee the delivery of the council’s Environment and Climate Strategy.

Cllr Stimson said: “It is not about what we say, it is about what we do. There is no point in tearing it [the corporate plan] up and starting again, they are just words. I am interested in climate change and what we do.

“Sustainability is a new thing – it was not something that was in our plans three or four years ago when some previous developments started coming forward.

“Therefore it is something we have had to focus on and it should be put first with developments.”

Maidenhead MP Theresa May was also at COP26 in Glasgow this week, visiting the Green Zone, where representatives from business, Government and interested parties mingled amongst displays of new technologies determined to solve the climate crisis.

Mrs May said: “It is good that the Climate Partnership will be working with organisations and with businesses around the Royal Borough. It is about everybody taking the steps they need to take.”

Visit https://bit.ly/COPtober2021 to find out what is planned within the Royal Borough during COPtober, which runs until November 12.