Green Party Cabinet Member represents Bristol at COP23 climate conference

Councillor Fi Hance today attended the annual COP23 climate conference in Bonn and spoke on behalf of Bristol. As Cabinet member for Energy, Cllr Hance was there to represent Bristol at the Climate event and was asked what action the city is taking on climate change.

In response Councillor Hance highlighted the reduction in CO2 emissions that has been achieved in Bristol – carbon emissions for the city have shrunk by 31% over the last decade. She also pointed out that the Council has developed the UK’s largest municipal energy investment programme, investing in home energy efficiency measures, district heating and renewable energy.  Through Bristol Energy the council has its own energy company to support Green and affordable energy and invest the profits in the City.

Bristol is also getting on with creating an electric vehicle charging network and investing in cycling infrastructure, and the number of cyclists in the city has doubled over the last decade.  Through external partners and grants the city aims to secure a whopping billion pounds of investment in Green Energy projects over the next 10 years.

Cllr Hance said: “Different cities face different challenges and can contribute to the global solution of climate change in various ways – but one thing Bristol shares with cities like Accra and Quito (the capitals of Ghana and Ecuador, also represented at COP23) is a commitment to act, a connection with our people and a capability to deliver.”

She added “What I’ve seen and heard today has made me really hopeful as a Green about the urgency and importance that city and global leaders are rightly giving to Climate Change around the world. It’s clear from the extreme weather events we’re seeing increasingly frequently that climate change is likely already impacting on millions around the world. Under Donald Trump only the USA is now outside the Paris deal and this conference so far has shown me that the rest of the world are getting their heads down and getting on with the work ahead, which is fantastic.”

Contact:
Councillor Fi Hance
Green Party Councillor for Redland, Cabinet Member for Energy, Waste and Regulatory Services
Cllr.Fi.Hance@bristol.gov.uk
01173 534720
01173 526155

Background info:

• COP23 is the 23rd annual “conference of the parties” (COP) taking place in Bonn, Germany from 6-17 November.
• This year Fiji is running the COP conference – thus for the first time the organiser will be one of the small island nations that are most at risk from the sea-level rise and extreme storms that climate change is bringing.
• Summary article in the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/05/the-cop23-climate-change-summit-in-bonn-and-why-it-matters