1. The climate emergency should be an explicit and integral consideration in all local authority decision making.
Povey, Adam – Liberal Democrat
Agree
Climate-conscious actions by the Council can have a not inconsiderable impact, particularly their ability to lobby the most significant polluters. However, I personally would prefer to consider “environmental sustainability” rather than “the climate emergency” as there are environmentally damaging ways to reduce greenhouse gases.
Rogers, Steven – Green
Strongly agree
Green councillors successfully proposed Oxford declare a climate and ecological emergency in January 2019 and it is now time for action
Watts, Duncan – Green
Strongly agree
A climate emergency has been declared in Oxford in January 2019 but this needs to be back up by practical action. This emergency should be at the core of every decision that is made.
2. I support the Climate and Ecological Emergency (CEE) Bill
Povey, Adam – Liberal Democrat
Agree
The goals laid out in the bill’s Executive Summary are laudable. I have issues with some specific details in the bill, but determining the balance of responsibility for major societal change is precisely the sort of discussion that the democratic process is for.
Rogers, Steven – Green
Strongly agree
The Climate and Ecoogical Emergency Bill is co-sponsored by Green MP Caroline Lucas and Green councillors successfully proposed a city council motion that urged MPs to support the Bill (which was refused by the city’s labour MP)
Watts, Duncan – Green
Strongly agree
The UK is not doing enough to fulfil the aims of the CEE bill yet we could be leading the way to seeing it brought into action. We call it an emergency, it is an emergency, and we should behave as though it is and she something about it!
3. Motorised traffic in and through Oxford should be reduced 50% below present levels by 2030, to limit air pollution and increase space for cyclists and pedestrians.
Povey, Adam – Liberal Democrat
Strongly agree
As a pedestrian, cyclist and motorcyclist, a quiet road is a good road. However, we must make it as easy as possible for people to make the right choice by installing cheap, effective public transport options before banning anything. And, should we get to fines, they should be proportionate.
Rogers, Steven – Green
Strongly agree
This aligns with indpendent research comissioned for the Oxford Citizen’s Assembly and supported by the Green party which indicated a minimum 25% reduction in car travel and 8% shift away from fossil fuelled vehicles to more sustainable travel is necessary by 2030
Watts, Duncan – Green
Strongly agree
A 50% target is broadly in line with the independent research commissioned for the Oxford Citizen’s Assembly which the Greens have supported. By 2030, this indicates a minimum 25% reduction in travel by car combined with an 8% shift towards more sustainable travel modes and diminishing use of fossil-fuelled vehicles.
4. Development decisions (planning and housing) should design out car-dependency and facilitate the creation of 15 minute neighbourhoods, where residents can access all daily goods and services within a 15 minute walk.
Povey, Adam – Liberal Democrat
Agree
While I strongly agree that new developments should ensure residents can live without a car, we must remember some individuals need a car so the details are important. Interested in more details on 15-min neighbourhoods as the idea is cool but the time seems a tad short.
Rogers, Steven – Green
Strongly agree
15-minute neighbourhoods form a key part of our 2021 Oxford City Council manifesto alongside policies to deliver the necessary transport ad planning changes.
Watts, Duncan – Green
Strongly agree
No-one should have to drive a car to buy a handful of groceries, take children to school or access care facilities and services. All planning decisions should take this into account.
5. All new homes built in Oxfordshire should be built to zero carbon standards.
Povey, Adam – Liberal Democrat
Strongly agree
Of course. Anything less lets developers pocket profits that homeowners will have to pay later for retrofitting.
Rogers, Steven – Green
Strongly agree
This is immediately both technically and legally feasible and should definitely be supported by the City Council. The definition should also be extended to included unregulated loads such as fridges which have been shown to make up to 25% of a households emissions
Watts, Duncan – Green
Strongly agree
We should all be aiming to reduce our carbon footprints and so all new homes should be built to zero carbon standards.
6. Local authorities should introduce policies and measures to enable all homes in Oxford and Oxfordshire to achieve an EPC rating of C or higher by 2035.
Povey, Adam – Liberal Democrat
Strongly agree
Energy efficient homes are important, but successive governments have been harping on about them for decades without much progress. I’d prefer to target the big polluters. However, any retrofitting scheme should to minimise costs to individuals and maximise sustainability, not just tick a box.
Rogers, Steven – Green
Strongly agree
This is a win-win with lower bills for occupants leading to more money for the local economy and a reduction in emissions and is again immediately technically and legally feasible and yet 59% of Oxford’s home are EPC ‘D’ or lower. Cosy Homes and similar projects need to be greatly increased with council support and council owned properties retro-fitted
Watts, Duncan – Green
Strongly agree
There is so much scope for improving the energy efficiency of housing – where so much energy is wasted. We need to do what we can to increase the energy efficiency of every home.
7. Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council should introduce policies that support the installation of renewable energy sources.
Povey, Adam – Liberal Democrat
Strongly agree
Renewable energy sources that produce much more energy over their working lifespan than went into creating the equipment are a fantastic investment. We also need set aside funding for maintenance and repair.
Rogers, Steven – Green
Strongly agree
The Green Party want cheap Council borrowing to be used to invest in e.g. solar farms delivering against climate and financial goals. When this was proposed by the Greens, the City Council instead decided to speculate £20m on commercial properties.
Watts, Duncan – Green
Strongly agree
Cheap council borrowing could be used to invest in many renewable energy sources – solar power, mini-wind power installations, etc.
8. Local authorities should use every available mechanism (including the planning system, grants and others), and support and enable innovation, to phase out fossil fuel use across Oxford, including domestic, business and industrial use as well as use in their own buildings and operations.
Povey, Adam – Liberal Democrat
Strongly agree
If you’re going to call this a “climate crisis”, you should be using every mechanism at your disposal to deal with it.
Rogers, Steven – Green
Strongly agree
To reach the 2040 net zero carbon target we need 20x the current amount of local renewable energy and yet the current city council have no plans. We need a massive increase in local investment for solar, hydro and battery storage technology and are lucky that a lot of the technical expertise required for this already exists in the Oxford area.
Watts, Duncan – Green
Strongly agree
This is a bit ambition but one we should be working towards. It will take a lots of investment in e.g. solar, hydro, wind and battery storage.
9. The creation, protection and restoration of biodiversity and green spaces for all should be a priority for local authorities including the development of a Nature Recovery Network.
Povey, Adam – Liberal Democrat
Agree
Strongly agree with everything up to “including” – a healthy biome benefits health, climate, the environment, and more. Not sure what is meant by “Nature Recovery Network” and so make not comment. I typically agree with BBOWT’s proposals on the rejuvenation of biodiversity.
Rogers, Steven – Green
Strongly agree
Many sites rich in biodiversity such as the Lye Vallety nature reserve are under threat from urbanisation and city approved development plans whilst brownfields sites remain under-developed. Meawhile the Green party recently won tentative Council support for a new National Park to the north-east of the City.
Watts, Duncan – Green
Strongly agree
There are so few areas of biodiversity in and around the city. These areas need conserving and strengthening. And where possible new areas should be re-wilded.
10. As Oxfordshire County Council candidate, I support the doubling of tree cover in Oxfordshire by 2045; AND/OR: As Oxford City Council candidate, I support Oxford making a significant contribution to doubling tree cover in Oxfordshire by 2045.
Povey, Adam – Liberal Democrat
Neither agree or disagree
I support the increase of healthy, wild land of all sorts in Oxfordshire. While I have no problem with planting more trees per se, I find it provides politicians with an easy way of appearing to help the environment without doing much else.
Rogers, Steven – Green
Strongly agree
Greens support the FoE campaign to double tree cover and have actively supported community tree planting campaigns, e.g. in Marston, and argued for more City grant funding for such groups. At the same time we are trying to ensure that more existing trees are protected with preservation orders
Watts, Duncan – Green
Strongly agree
There is a need for more tree cover in Oxford city to promote biodiversity, and to store carbon. Doubling tree cover in Oxfordshire by 2045 is an essential part of any climate action plan.
11. Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council should introduce policies that support the development of a food system which promotes local production and use of agro-ecological methods (ie sustainable farming methods that work with nature).
Povey, Adam – Liberal Democrat
Agree
Yes, but that must go hand-in-hand with public education in and subsidy of more sustainable lifestyles. Local production is only helpful if consumers want the sorts of foods that can be sustainably grown in Oxfordshire.
Rogers, Steven – Green
Strongly agree
Greens recently won Council support for a new Oxford Food Strategy bringing together the health, social and environmental dimensions of our food supply chains and to reduce inequalities. They also support local food businesses and agroecological methods to reduce the use of fossil fuels and sequester carbon
Watts, Duncan – Green
Strongly agree
I support local food businesses and agroecological methods to reduce the use of fossil fuels and sequester carbon (among other reasons).
12. Finally, in 100 words or less, please describe what you plan to contribute to ensuring a green and just recovery in Oxford/ Oxfordshire.
Povey, Adam – Liberal Democrat
I will continue to work as an environmental scientist, monitoring the changes in our climate and striving to more thoroughly understand what influences it. I will continue to campaign for governments of all levels to hold the powerful accountable for their actions and empower individuals to make sustainable, environmentally friendly choices in their lives. Leaving decisions with global implications in the hands of a select few is what got us in this mess in the first place.
Rogers, Steven – Green
As a member of the Green party I support the Green New Deal for Oxford which recognises the economcal benefit of investing in a more localised circular economy and expanding new technologies to reduce our impact on the climate while still addressing inequality and the housing crisis. I will push the council to invest in both renewable energy projects as well as the necessary infrastructure such as charging points to allow the electrification of public transport. Public transport links and cycling provisions also need greatly improved investment and I hope to see a largely pedestrianised city centre allowing rejuvenation efforts to help our local businesses recover from the pandemic.
Watts, Duncan – Green
A Green New Deal for Oxford addresses the climate emergency by delivering a decarbonised, more localised circular economy, with a funded net zero target, reflecting recent societal shifts, while addressing the housing crisis and inequality. Councils need to invest in renewable energy projects, rewrite Local Plan policies for sustainable buildings, and meet social housing needs. We will reduce pollution by improved, sustainable public transport, better cycling provision, and support for the electrification of transport by expanding the high voltage vehicle charging network. Green spaces and biodiversity must be enhanced, within a broader commitment to improving public health and our environment.
