March ahead of debate on ‘climate emergency’ to be held in Chichester

Demonstrators are planning to march from the Market Cross to County Hall in a bid to put pressure on West Sussex councillors to declare a ‘Climate Emergency’ when it debates a motion on climate change at its full council meeting.

The motion from cllr Michael Jones will request that the council pledges to attempt to make West Sussex carbon neutral by 2030, taking into account both production and consumption emissions.

“Councils like West Sussex are uniquely placed to lead the world in reducing carbon emissions – for example because of their capacity for local energy generation, such as running our own solar farms and promoting solar energy take up among local organisations and residents, supporting the greater use of electric powered vehicles both in the private and public sector and for personal use, and investing further in public transport.

“West Sussex is already suffering from flooding problems and a significant proportion of its population and a large number of its settlements are based in coastal areas which would potentially be devastated by a rise in sea levels caused by continual global warming.