As we are approaching half-way through the term of the Alliance Group’s time in office at County Hall, News OnTheWight approached each of the Cabinet members offering an opportunity to highlight the work of their portfolio and their hopes for the coming year.
We began with Isle of Wight council leader, Lora Peacey-Wilcox.
Up next is Cllr Jonathan Bacon, whose portfolio includes Climate Change, Environment, Heritage, Human Resources and Legal and Democratic Services. In his own words. Ed
With strikes, rising food prices and concerns about keeping warm through the winter, my Portfolio areas of Environment and Heritage may not seem to be the most important areas for council activity.
However these areas of work are part of the bigger picture of the council playing its part in ensuring a sustainable future for the Island and its people, and doing so is in fact a key part of addressing those more specific concerns that arise in our daily lives.
A key part of my work during the year, that has perhaps not been that visible generally, has been buttering the muffin of ensuring that the policy basis for a long term sustainable future becomes ingrained in the way the Council works and moves forward.
We got the big ‘B’
Key to this is the recognition of why, in 2019, we got the big ‘B’, when we were declared to be a UNESCO Biosphere and understanding that this status recognises that we have all the essential elements in our environment and community for a sustainable future.
It does seem to be a local pastime to find things to complain about, but perhaps if we had a little more regard to those things which are internationally recognised as making us eligible, along with only 737 other areas in the world, to have Biosphere status, we might find more to be rightly proud and positive about, particularly when compared to other parts of our country.
The Biosphere recognises what we have already
I have always said that the key to understanding the Biosphere is realising that it recognises what we have already in terms of environment and community and the potential that gives us for the future.
The more we understand about where we live and what is good about it and worth nurturing, then the greater our potential for the future.
17 UNESCO Goals for Sustainable Development
Key to what the Biosphere status recognises and seeks to develop are the 17 UNESCO Goals for Sustainable Development.
Rather than explain them, here is the official diagram of the Goals, which speak for themselves!
Click on image to see larger version
New Biosphere Steering Committee
A key part of the approach to the council helping the whole Island preserve and maintain Biosphere status and achieving these Goals is the creation of a new Biosphere Steering Committee.
This will act as a focus for work that has been going on in specific areas, such as Land Use, Coastal issues and Education, and give an overarching strategic drive aimed not just at the council, but at the whole Island. This body will come together for its first meeting in January.
Very importantly it will operate autonomously. Our status and the goals we need to address and achieve are bigger and far more important than the council.
Addressing Climate Change
A key Goal for us is addressing Climate Change. While this appears as number 13 in the UNESCO list, it is a key element in consideration in almost all the Goals in that list and indeed something that we should have regard to in all our daily activities.
Anyone who still questions whether it is a real thing should think about the excessive rain we have had recently and the heatwave we had in the summer.
IWC only responsible for 1 per cent of IW carbon footprint
The council is doing its part to address the effects of Climate Change through the Mission Zero Project which, like the Biosphere, is a much bigger issue than just one for the council, which is only…
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