How is Exmouth Town Facing up ?

Following Parliament’s declaration of a Climate Emergency on May 1^st  2019, on the 10^th June, Exmouth Town Council passed its own resolution. The Council’s goal for Exmouth is to be carbon neutral by 2030 at the latest.
Transition Exmouth’s ‘Our Exmouth, Our Planet'
event held in November was an overwhelming success in attendance and community engagement. It was key in our pursuit of gaining further influence in the Town Council’s Climate Change strategy. TREX are delighted to be working alongside and supported by the council.
A Climate and Ecological Emergency Working Party
within the Council was created, the appointment of an external auditor to calculate the Town Council’s carbon footprint was agreed and the ten action points received from ‘Our Exmouth, Our Planet’ community consultation event were agreed and endorsed, all by December
Lobbying and Debate
Also, Exmouth Town Council allocated an initial budget of £2,500 to Climate Change initiatives to be delivered via partnership with Transition Exmouth; and agreed that coordination with, and lobbying of, other bodies, including Government, County and District Councils and others, as appropriate, be formally recognised as a legitimate and effective way of the Council conducting business in this vital, urgent area.
Further debate about the nature of the working party was to be held earlier this year.
 
 
What has been achieved so far?

Plastic reduction working party was already in place and the council adopted the newly drafted Single-Use Plastic Policy to support the Town working towards becoming a single-use plastic-free town. The installation of four water fountains around the town is also under way (to reduce the number of plastic bottles needing to be used.) and progress was also made with on-street recycling and waste collection

Website: (see article above): We are really excited about this project and hope that the website will be up and running later this summer. .
Wild Exmouth in Association with EDDC have been busy planting trees and plans are being made to extend wildlife projects with Exmouth Wildlife and Exmouth Tree Project.
The Energy advice workshop could have been better attended but the content and planning of it was excellent.
Eco-Hub Work is continuing in forming our concepts and ideas about the proposed Eco-Hub.
The Active Transport Day has been postponed due to the Lock Down (see article above for the new opportunities arising from recent government funding) 
The Schools and adults environmental days have not been planned as yet but we feel confident that they will be after our return……?.
What is missing? The ten point plan was intended as intial steps which could be swiftly taken , of course it has been somewhat held up by the pandemic.  We will look forward to hearing ETC's report on each step in due course, and working with them on developing plans for the future.  Many of the housing, transport, energy and infrastructure needs of a Zero Carbon future will involve collaboration at County level and lobbying of M.P.s and large corporate bodies.
It is easy to feel overwhelmed with the facts as they are flashed at us through the media but we mustn’t forget the power of the positive in community which was demonstrated through the Covid Pandemic.
How has Covid 19 changed the picture?
There is much evidence, scientifically and anecdotally that suggests that a return to what we all thought was ‘normal’ is not possible or in many people’s minds not acceptable. This from the point of view of our future health, possibilities of recurring Pandemics, for the health of the planet, because we are aware of Climate Change but also perhaps more aware that we can have a positive impact on it and for the sake of humanity and our care for each other.
When we return: Can we resolve together to help to make that difference on all fronts?
 
 
Exmouth Town Council adopt Our Exmouth Our Planet's
10 Point Climate Action Starter Plan
Here's the 10-point initial action plan:
1. ETC to partner with Transition Exmouth on the Climate Action lottery bid to create an Eco / Community Hub in Exmouth town centre (more about this below). 
2. ETC to plant trees & wildflowers for pollinators on all “unowned” patches of land,  stop all use of pesticides and herbicides and use only organic fertilisers on council property.
3. ETC to create a website in partnership with Transition Exmouth giving information on how people can tackle climate change as individuals - and link to this in the footer of all ETC emails, and on all ETC publications.
4. ETC to switch to a renewable energy supplier in all Council buildings, and lobby EDDC and DCC to do the same.  
5.  ETC to support the Transition Exmouth events programme from 2020, starting with an Energy Advice Clinic  (more about this below)
6. ETC to create a Bike Pool for use with the Bikeability programme in Exmouth primary schools, so that every child has access to a suitable bike. Bikes to be reclaimed and refurbished (explore partnership with Rideon, who repair bikes for re-use in Exeter).
7. ETC to run Environmental Days for all schools and adults to expand on their excellent first conference in 2019.
8. Drinking water fountains throughout town – railway station, Strand and along the beach. 
9. ETC to commit to use only Organic, Fairtrade products in all Council hospitality and catering.
10. ETC to work with Transition Exmouth and local bike shops to provide subsidised electric bike hire to enable Exmouthians to try ebikes for themselves.