Southwark Council has failed to spend any money from its multi-million-pound climate emergency pot since its creation in 2021, despite being widely praised for its environmental policies.
£25,000,000 was set aside from the council’s budget to put towards investment projects that would help tackle climate change over the decade.
The council had planned to spend the finances between 2021 and 2030, but enquiries from councillors showed none of this money has been spent in almost a year.
“Southwark Labour do not understand that we have to act urgently to tackle the climate emergency and have relied on us to force them to go greener faster,” said Liberal Democrat Cllr Victor Chamberlain.
“Spending on the emergency or dedicating money to relevant projects has to be an urgent priority and no-one can afford for the council to sit on large funds for years.”
These claims by the Lib Dems were fiercely rebuffed by the council.
“Once again, the Lib Dems have completely missed the big picture and are choosing to ignore the council’s record of delivery on climate change,” said Cllr Helen Dennis, cabinet member for the climate emergency and sustainable development.
“Last year, we estimated that £101m was already committed and being spent to address the climate emergency – with the council planting 10,000 new trees, doubling cycle storage, creating new school streets and investing in local parks,” she added.
In explaining the delays, Cllr Dennis said: “We are working through proposals to ensure that we get value for money for Southwark residents, focusing on areas that cut the most carbon, and deliver benefits for the local community.”
Two years after declaring a climate emergency Southwark Council’s new strategy remains unpublished
Southwark’s Labour-led council has previously been praised for the scope and scale of its climate action plan, ranking 12th out of 325 local authorities across the country by Climate Emergency UK.
In addition to the £25 million climate kitty, the council has announced a Green Buildings and £2 million climate reserve fund “to scale up its climate change work.”
It has a range of commitments to make Southwark carbon neutral by 2030, surrounding investment in council housing, parks and green spaces, electric charging points, and installing solar panels.
Climate Emergency UK also revealed that only one in five local councils in the UK has a plan for tackling the climate emergency, five of whom are in London.
Southwark Council has the second highest climate score of any borough in the capital scoring 79 per cent – compared to Lambeth’s meager 37 per cent.
Councils were judged on whether their climate actions are costed and have clear goals; if local residents are being engaged with climate action; whether there are any plans to decarbonise waste, planning and homes or other services that councils are responsible for; and if their plans cover areas areas, such as re-skilling the workforce, climate education, governance and funding.
See how the climate policies of your local council compares to others here: https://councilclimatescorecards.uk/