Regional partners in the public, private and voluntary sector have gathered together to sign a special declaration pledging to tackle climate change.
The North East Declaration on Climate Change was signed at a special ceremony at the offices of Government Office for the North East, in Newcastle on Monday.
By signing the declaration, the partners acknowledges that climate change is occurring and will have far reaching effects on the region’s people, places, economy, society and the environment and have pledged to work together to tackle the causes of climate change and its impact.
Jonathan Blackie, Regional Director for Government Office for the North East, said:
“I am pleased to sign this declaration demonstrating the commitment of the Government Office for the North East to addressing climate change. I welcome the leadership being shown by regional partners who are also signing and I encourage all organisations in the North East to sign the declaration and join us in working together on this critical issue.
“There is some excellent, groundbreaking work ongoing in the North East and it is essential that partners in the region work together, not only to reduce emissions and mitigate against the impacts of climate change, but also to put in place the necessary adaptation measures to counter the inevitable consequences that we are already facing.
“The North East Climate Change Partnership will be a key delivery mechanism for this. The North East Climate Change Action Plan will be launched next year and will set out the key actions that the North East needs to carry out to be able to meet our targets to reduce emissions, ensure that we are resilient to the effects of climate change and that we make the most of the economic opportunities that will arise.”
Margaret Fay, Chairman of One NorthEast, said:
“One NorthEast is already supporting a number of activities that are helping to mitigate the effects of climate change, including the New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC), Energy Resource Excellence (ERE), Community Energy Solutions and the Midas programme.
”One NorthEast is involved with partners in investigating the activity necessary to ensure the region is in a position to adapt to climate change.”
Wyn Jones, Chair of Sustaine, said:
"Today's signing is an important step forward for the region as the partners pledge to work together to tackle the causes and impacts of climate change.
"This I s the North East signing up to the Nottingham Declaration, that has already seen 200 local authorities and many other partners make this pledge.
"Here in the North East, we are one of only two regions in the whole of the UK where ALL of our local authorities have signed up - this is exactly the kind of support we need if we are going to meet the challenges that climate change presents not only in reducing our CO2 emissions and our own effect on the climate but in making sure we can adapt to cope with climate change."
Alex Watson, chair of the NE Assembly, said:
"By signing up to the North East declaration we are demonstrating our wholehearted commitment to tackle the issue of climate change together as a region.
"We need coherent, concerted action now. But no one organisation can do it alone – we all have a part to play, each of us as an individual as well as all our local authorities, public, private and voluntary organisations and this declaration is an important step in bringing them together."
Councillor Mick Henry, Chair of the Association of North East Councils, said:
"Climate change is one of, if not the greatest challenge and threat to the 21st Century and to our planet's long-term future. Signing the declaration represents a commitment by different organisations in the region, including its 25 councils, to work together to tackle climate change.
"We stand the best chance of tackling climate change and living in a greener future if we work together."
The North East Declaration on Climate Change is an extension of the Nottingham Declaration that has already been signed by all the region’s Local Authorities and Northumberland National Park Authority. And this new milestone has seen other organisations sign up to the pledge, including North East Assembly, Government Office for the North East, Environment Agency, One NorthEast, North East Chamber of Commerce, Confederation of British Industry, Federation of Small Businesses, Natural England, Business in the Community, Association of North East Councils and Voluntary Organisations Network North East.
