A new citizens’ assembly to combat climate change in the North East could become “another talking shop that will delay real action”, a council leader fears.
Northumberland County Council chief Peter Jackson revealed his concerns about the plans as they were approved by the North of Tyne Combined Authority’s cabinet on Tuesday.
The project will see a randomly-selected group of at least 50 residents from Newcastle, North Tyneside, and Northumberland assembled to come up with ideas to make the area greener.
But the Conservative council leader told colleagues that he remains “sceptical about what getting 50 people together in a hotel room for a weekend is going to add”.
Calling for more immediate action on climate change, Coun Jackson added: “I get frustrated about kicking the can down the road and not getting on with it.”
North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll said that the assembly was about “reaching across communities, beyond those already engaged” to hear from a group that is representative of the region’s population.
The Labour mayor added: “Without action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions dramatically in the next 10 years we are going to leave our kids and grandkids with an increasingly inhospitable planet and a world economy facing collapse.”
Mr Driscoll praised the work being done by local councils to reduce emissions, adding: “None of us can solve this alone but we can never be excused for doing nothing.
"You cannot put it in a box marked ‘too difficult’ or ‘too big to solve’.”
Coun Jackson abstained on a vote to approve the creation of the citizens’ assembly, which the combined authority will commission an outside ‘deliberative democracy provider’ to design and recruit participants for.
Childcare and daily expenses will be offered to participants, with the entire project expected to cost around £80,000.
Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes said: “We need to think about what the trade-offs are that people are going to have to make in their lives.
"Are we going to be able to afford the same level of air travel? Are we going to be able to afford to travel in the way we do? Are we going to be able to continue with the same poorly insulated homes and businesses?
“What we need to do is engage our citizens and have a serious debate around what we can all do to help mitigate against climate change.”
