Surrey Climate Commission asked the leaders of the controlling Liberal Democrat Party for comments on why they had not supported the motion.
We are grateful for the reply below, received from Councilor Claire Malcomson (Executive Member for Climate, Environment and Waste).
"The East Surrey Shadow Authority are committed to doing the most we can do to mitigate climate change and ecology breakdown.
Why We Voted the Motion Down
The Greens’ motion was too narrow. We support urgent action on climate change, but East Surrey Council, I am sure you will agree, needs a much broader and more ambitious environmental strategy.
As the new council takes on its full responsibilities from Surrey County Council, we have an opportunity to develop a properly assessed, deliverable and financially sustainable approach covering:
Climate change and carbon reduction
Biodiversity and nature recovery
Trees, soils, rivers, wetlands and chalklands
Climate adaptation and resilience
Waste reduction
Sustainable procurement
The environmental impact of council contractors
Supporting communities and volunteers
Making environmental considerations part of everyday council decisions
Ambition needs a plan
The motion proposed a 2030 target but did not set out how that target could realistically be achieved.
Before committing to a target, we need to understand the council’s baseline emissions, responsibilities, available powers, costs and what can actually be delivered.
Targets should be matched by a credible plan.
We need the full financial picture
East Surrey Council is facing an indicative budget shortfall of around £35 million. We do not yet have the complete financial picture of the new council.
That should not stop climate action. It means our approach must identify where investment can deliver the greatest environmental benefits and ensure commitments are financially sustainable.
A new council needs a new approach
Previous councils have already taken important steps on climate change, including climate emergency declarations in Mole Valley and Elmbridge in 2019.
But it is now 2026. East Surrey Council should learn from what has worked and develop a strategy suited to the environmental and financial challenges it faces today.
We considered whether to amend the Greens’ motion, but the changes required were substantial. The motion needed a broader scope and a different overall approach, rather than a few amendments.
So we voted it down because we believe East Surrey needs something stronger.
This was not a vote against climate action. It was a vote against a motion we believed was too narrow and insufficiently developed.
We want East Surrey Council to be ambitious, practical and comprehensive — and to build an environmental strategy that the council can actually deliver."
Surrey Climate Commission is keen to support the new East Surrey Unitary Authority to develop a practical and comprehensive environmental strategy, alongside declaring a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency, before Vesting Day (when the Shadow Authority takes power as East Surrey Unitary Authority) on 1st April 2027. We urge all community groups to lobby their councilors to help bring this about through cross-party support.