'Grossly irresponsible': Fury as Wakefield Council scraps climate emergency declaration
Campaigners warn climate emergency ‘is not going away’
Environmentalist have described Wakefield Council’s decision to scrap its climate change and biodiversity declarations as “grossly irresponsible.”
Earlier this month, the authority’s new Reform administration voted in favour of overturning both commitments previously made when it was under Labour control.
Reform took control of the council from Labour by winning 58 out of 63 seats at the local elections in May.
Under Labour, the council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and pledged to become a carbon neutral authority by 2030.
Stuart Boothman, chair of environmental group Just Transition Wakefield, said: “There’s a little bit of me that wants to laugh.
“But really, myself and all of us at Just Transition Wakefield are really disappointed, really saddened. The climate emergency is not going away.
“It’s not going to get better, it’s only going to get worse.
“Every decision now, in 2026 and onwards, needs to consider what is the climate impact, what’s the impact on nature, as well as what’s the impact on the economy and what’s the impact on the lives of people in Wakefield district.”
Wakefield Green Party councillor Kate Dodd was also critical of the decision to scrap the motions.
She said: “It sends a message to residents and to businesses that this council doesn’t consider this important.
“So, in ten years’ time, when those councillors are being asked ‘what were you doing when the rest of the world was preparing for climate break down?’, they can say ‘oh, we thought it wasn’t a big deal, we decided to ignore it.’
“That is grossly irresponsible and it’s just another act of the council engaging in gesture politics in a way that lets the people of Wakefield down.”
Wakefield Council said no one from Reform was available to comment but council leader Karl Johnson told a recent meeting that too much time had been spent on “virtue signalling and gesture politics.”
He said: “With council tax set this year at another 4.99 per cent, we need to put our residents first.
“We accept that our climate is changing and a significant international effort will be required to respond to that.
“This is about moving forward in a more realistic, grounded and impactful way.”