City-wide updates:
Edinburgh Council continues to meet online, although subject committees are starting back on 5 October with the overarching Policy & Sustainability Committee chaired by the Council Leader that our Green Co-Convenors Claire Miller and Steve Burgess sit on. The committee will be considering the City’s Net Zero Strategy that comes ahead of the UN COP26 meeting in Glasgow at the beginning of November among a range of issues.
As City Canal Champion, Gavin Corbett has written in the Evening News on how the Union Canal bicentenary next year can be an opportunity for the waterway to face into the 21st century as part of the challenge of climate change: https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/edinburghs-coal-canal-is-set-to-turn-200-with-a-new-role-in-tackling-climate-change-gavin-corbett-3354375
In Transport, Claire Miller visited the Cargo Bike Movement and Farr Out Deliveries at their joint premises in Tollcross to learn more about how cargo bike movement can be used in Edinburgh to achieve green transport strategies.
In Education, Mary Campbell has been chasing council action on getting an additional parent representative and the first pupil representative on Education, Children and Families committee.
As Climate spokesperson, Steve Burgess proposed that the Council endorse the proposal for a global Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty https://fossilfueltreaty.org/ and a report will now go to the Policy & Sustainability committee.
Also at full Council, with the latest UN IPCC report being described as a ‘code red for humanity’, Steve Burgess challenged the Council Leader that the council’s approach the Climate Emergency needs a greater sense of urgency as advocated by Edinburgh’s Climate Commission.
And in the wards:
In Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart, Gavin Corbett has been seeking to get to the bottom of potential development of the Corn Exchange at Chesser. As a popular venue for 5-aside football and indoor bowling Gavin has opposed plans for redevelopment of some of the buildings: https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/people/edinburghs-world-of-football-set-for-demolition-to-make-way-for-more-student-housing-3378179
In Portobello/Craigmillar, Mary Campbell has been working through a lot of casework around bins, weeds, public toilet access, buses, planning applications, disabled parking and road safety, which has led to some planning for future ward campaigns.
In the City Centre ward, Claire Miller was pleased to welcome a new lollipop man for Tollcross Primary School, after a concerted campaign with the parent council and pupils to give them a safe crossing point at West Tollcross.
In Southside-Newington ward, Steve Burgess updated the Grange Prestonfield Community Council meeting on the council’s approach to the Climate Emergency and the City Net Zero Strategy to be published later this year.