Commenting on the Red warning for extreme heat from the Exeter based Met Office, Green Party councillor for St David’s ward in the city, Diana Moore said:
“The Met Office is clear: the unprecedented heatwaves we are witnessing, not just in the UK but across Europe, are a result of human induced climate change.
“Rather than reckless talk of ditching climate targets, this should serve as a wake-up call. We need firm action.
We need to tackle carbon emissions to prevent future runaway climate change, but also adapt our towns and cities to better cope with extreme heat.
“The single most effective measure to reduce emissions would be a massive home insulation programme. This is also one of the key ways to tackle the cost-of-living crisis as it will dramatically cut energy bills.
“To tackle future heatwaves – which are now inevitable – we need to protect and expand green spaces within our towns and cities – especially by increasing tree cover. Research shows that increasing cooling green space by just 10% can prevent urban temperatures rising [1].
“We call on the Labour Council in Exeter to show leadership in developing ways to retrofit the city’s housing stock and to stop development on the city’s green spaces. We must go further. All new buildings in the city must be built to net zero standards. The Council must also pledge to plant thousands more trees, develop pocket parks and use the planning system to block the paving over of gardens while supporting community initiatives working to green neighbourhoods.”