In 2019 Cheshire West and Chester Council declared a climate emergency to focus on climate change as an organisational priority. Climate Emergency UK, a grant funded organisation, was set up to maintain a data base of councils which have and haven’t declared an emergency and a scoring system. As well as the council database of those having declared, they also started asking councils set questions. In 2021 the data they collated put Cheshire West at a score of 58%, with Manchester City Council at 87%. But we were above average which was 50%.
The next review will come out later this year and they are already starting to ask councils for replies to a list of updated questions.
We have started to review Climate Emergency UK’s batch of new questions and how the region might fair. Plus more ideas on things we can all do at home, work and schools.
This time we are focusing on the first few questions from the Climate Emergency UK Scorecard questions around Waste Reduction.
Question -points will be awarded if the council has done 2 or more of the following: – installing water drinking fountains on the council estate/public spaces
– banning plastic cups for water
– reducing plastic packaging
– reducing the use of plastic cutlery (forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks), plates, straws, beverage stirrers, balloon sticks or food and cup containers made of expanded polystyrene; including their covers and lids at their external events.
Cheshire West & Chester Council supported Plastic Free Chester in 2018 which went through full council and so they should achieve a positive score on this question. Here is the reply we received from the council.
Point awarded if the council requires event organisers to provide additional information about their environmental commitments that make reference to single use plastic or items that will be used that will be recyclable or compostable.
Further points awarded if the council has banned the use of all of following at these external events: plastic cutlery (forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks), plates, straws, beverage stirrers, balloon sticks or food and cup containers made of expanded polystyrene; including their covers and lids.
REPLY
Do you think the council are doing enough?
We can’t see anything in its current Events Guide which talks about Single Use plastics. Do you think the Council should require events on its land to be single use plastic free?
We have created this handy events guide for anyone putting on an event in the region.
We are now working on achieving Plastic Free Cheshire West or the big picture Plastic Free Cheshire.
The following places are working on accreditation and we need your help.
- Chester – achieved in 2018
- Neston – have done enough and we hope will be accredited soon
- Tattenhall – are so so close to achieving status.
- Ellesmere Port – we all need to get behind this region to help.
- Frodsham – we all need to get behind this region to help.
- Willaston- we all need to get behind this region to help.
- Hoole – a new one which was previously under Chester, we are now working on it’s own seperate accreditation.
Sustainable Cheshire 