Author: Anna Addison

Organised by Friends of the Earth Groups from around Hertfordshire, The Herts Environment Hustings took place on 19^th April. Chairman Nick Hazell put questions on issues of sustainability and the environment from the online audience to a panel consisting of:

• Conservatives – Theresa Heritage, Derrick Ashley
• Greens – Anni Sander, Nick Cox
• Labour – Tina Bhartwas, Simon Speller
• Liberal Democrats – Helen Campbell, Nigel Quinton

The whole hustings are covered in two podcasts:

Part 1 – The questions covered were (in this order, to make it easier if you’d like to find a particular response) https://radioverulam.com/podcast/listen-now-to-the-herts-environment-hustings-part-1/

1. 2 minutes on the parties environmental policies for Hertfordshire
2. We know that spending time in nature has significant benefits for our health and wellbeing, and that a diverse natural environment is essential to a sustainable economy. What steps will your party advocate to reverse the recent alarming decline in biodiversity in Hertfordshire, and ensure that everyone in the county has access to quality green spaces where wildlife and people can flourish?
3. What would you do about public transport and how to get car owners out of their cars
4. Lots of county council land will be released for house building. Would you ensure that all such houses will be carbon zero
5. What measures would you take to reduce the amount of Hertfordshire’s waste which is incinerated or landfill

End of Part 1

Part 2 – https://radioverulam.com/podcast/listen-now-to-the-herts-environment-hustings-part-2/

1. Do you feel that wide area 20mph limits have an important role to play
2. Do you have any plans to communicate the importance and urgency of the climate crisis to the general public
3. What are your views on the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill
4. Is banning the use of herbicides and pesticides a priority to benefit the environment and the health of local people
5. Do you believe in a halt in new road building
6. The Herts Sustainability Strategy has no target for reducing the GHG emissions from the county other than the national target of net zero by 2050. Should there be a target and what should it be?
7. What are you doing in your personal life to be more environmentally friendly?

The doorbell sound is the timer used to ensure that each party had the same amount of time.

Please excuse noise distortions dues to internet fluctuations.

Local Friends of the Earth and Climate Action Groups in Hertfordshire response to the Sustainable Hertfordshire Strategy

Friends of the Earth and Climate Action Groups across Hertfordshire have submitted the following response to the current consultation on Hertfordshire County Council Sustainable Hertfordshire Strategy.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/14djjCqFKCsK7vExrdNxZ0WdLzcNBJeK6/view?usp=sharing

Our response welcomes the SHS, and we are pleased to see the commitment to making the council’s own operations net zero by 2030, and the recognition of the importance of tackling the decline in biodiversity as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

However, as currently drafted, we feel that there are areas of the SHS (and the associated action plan) that need to be significantly strengthened to meet the level of ambition that the current climate and ecological emergency demands, some key points being:

• The SHS should include not only long term goals for 2030 and 2050, but also short to medium term goals against which progress can be monitored.
• The current target in the SHS to achieve net zero carbon emissions for the county ‘before 2050’ is too weak and vague and should be replaced by a commitment to a 90% reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2040.
• Targets for improving wildlife and biodiversity should be aligned with recommendations from the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust to manage 30% of land area for the benefit of wildlife. This applies to both HCC’s own land and the county as a whole.
• Targets for waste and recycling should aim to make the county a zero-waste area, where all “waste” material is minimised, reused or recycled (following a circular economy approach). Targets relating to landfill alone are not adequate.
• The SHS recognises the importance of monitoring and scrutiny (page 4) but needs to set out more clearly how this will be done in a way that is robust and transparent.
• A communication strategy needs to be developed as part of the SHS – not only to involve others in the development and delivery of action plans but to engage Hertfordshire residents and businesses with the climate and ecological emergency.

The SHS should commit HCC to lobbying the UK government for the resources and enabling actions it needs to deliver its objectives.