The Green Movement Rocking Councils Across the South

Early last year a small band of Sussex based community groups embarked on a mission to put the environment at the top of the agenda for decision makers across the UK.

‘We all felt frustrated that so little seemed to be happening on a large scale in the UK when so much effort was being put in on a local scale,’ say the group’s founders.

They formed the South East Climate Alliance (SECA) and set about lobbying local councils to persuade them to ‘Declare a Climate Emergency’.

Within a few months councils across the Southeast had been forced to address the urgency of the climate issue and were making changes.

As a result, 57 of the 59 councils in Sussex, Surrey, Kent and Hampshire had taken action by passing meaningful climate motions or declaring a ‘Climate Emergency’.

The Alliance has now shifted its focus to ensuring that these councils honour their promises by producing effective Climate Action Plans which are then put into motion.

‘Having declared emergencies it is now crucial that councils turn their words into action,’ says the Alliance website. ‘We think that SECA can help this process by keeping an overview of what’s happening in councils in the South East, and supporting ongoing lobbying of local councils by our member groups.’

The Alliance’s future plans include looking at ways to track council actions and showcasing good practice and innovative ideas. They are also working on the creation of a lobbying toolkit for SECA member groups, organising training and workshops, and coordinating media campaigns.

Watch a film about the activity of the South East Climate Alliance: