Welsh councillors asked to back calls for televised climate emergency briefing

Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter 

Councillors in a part of south Wales hit by wildfires, storms and flooding are being asked to back calls for a televised national briefing on the climate emergency.

At a Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council meeting on Wednesday, 28 October, the motion will be put to the council for support by council leader Labour’s Cllr Steve Thomas.

His motion has already been backed by over half the county borough’s councillors with the list of signatories including Independent opposition group leader Cllr Wayne Hodgins (Brynmawr) the Green Party’s Cllr Sonia Behr (Nantyglo) and non-aligned councillors George Humpheys (Cwm) and Lee Parsons (Llanhilleth).

Cllr Thomas (Tredegar) said: “The National Emergency Briefing initiative is calling upon MP’s, peers and members of the UK’s devolved legislatures to support a request that the (UK) government stage a primetime televised national emergency briefing on climate and nature across all the main television channels.

“The aim is to reset public understanding, communicating the scale and immediacy of the threats as well as the enormous benefits of bold action, and helping build support for a collective national response.

“The national emergency briefing would be introduced by the prime minister and delivered by trusted independent experts, selected for their recognised authority and credibility.”

Cllr Thomas will tell councillors that a “wide range of cross-party politicians” are already supporting this move including  152 MPs as well as organisations including the National Trust, the Royal Meteorological Society, the Royal Society of Biology, Wildlife & Countryside Link, CPRE, and the Carbon Literacy Project.

Cllr Thomas said:  “Blaenau Gwent council declared a Climate Emergency in September 2020.

“As elected politicians we have a responsibility to ensure that residents in our area, and the public in the wider country, are well-informed about risks facing the nation.

“The scientific evidence is clear that climate change and nature loss present a rising threat to the UK’s food security, health, infrastructure, economy, and national security. These risks are already affecting communities across the country and will only grow in the years ahead.

“As the evidence base has matured, the time has come to communicate these risks clearly and directly to the public.

“At the same time, public debate is increasingly shaped by disinformation, making clear and authoritative communication more important than ever.”

“A televised emergency briefing would explain the scale of the climate and nature threats facing the UK, why these threats matter to people’s lives and livelihoods, and – crucially – how government, business and society can engage constructively with the challenges ahead.”

The motion calls for:

• Public support of the National Emergency Briefing initiative’s call for a live, televised emergency briefing.
• Local residents to be informed including via the council’s social media channels and local press and media, of this decision;
• Council-operated venues to be made available for community screenings of, and discussions around, the People’s Emergency Briefing should they be required.
• Nick Smith MP to be informed that this motion has been passed and urge him to sign up to join the Parliamentary Call for a live, televised emergency briefing.
• The National Emergency Briefing team to be informed of the council’s support.

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