South Tyneside councillor under fire following climate change comments

Councillor Joan Hamilton, who is part of the South Tyneside Alliance Group, said climate change to her is “spring, summer, autumn, winter” and she is a “firm believer that mother nature adapts and changes to look after herself”.

The comments were made at the latest authority-wide meeting of South Tyneside Council (on Thursday, July 25) as part of a debate on a motion from Green Party councillors on the local approach to delivering net zero.

The motion noted the council had previously declared a climate emergency and set a goal for the local authority to be carbon neutral by 2030, and said there “is a pressing need for greater transparency in our progress towards these goals”.

It added “climate change poses a significant threat to our community, with impacts ranging from extreme weather events to economic disruptions”.

It also stated “urgent action is required to mitigate these effects and transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy”.

Cllr Hamilton, who was recently elected in the Primrose ward following a by-election, said at the meeting she was coming at the topic “from a different angle” and she knew “it’s not going to be well received”.

She added: “Climate change to me is spring, summer, autumn, winter and I’m a firm believer that mother nature adapts and changes to look after herself.

“The task is a monumental one and needs a full cost analysis for projects and plans, and to reach that goal by 2030 is impossible, the cost will be astronomical.

“People will not stand for this in an already deprived town, there are far more pressing and important things that need to be addressed first.”

She also highlighted how “everything people own comes from fossil fuels” and raised several concerns around electric vehicles.

She concluded: “Every single act the UK has done to reduce its carbon footprint is negated instantly by the likes of China and India.

“Just to put it into perspective, Kim Kardashian flew from LA to France to buy a cheesecake from a hotel that she liked… it’s the elitists that need talking to, not us.”

Councillor David Francis, Green Party group leader on the council, who proposed the original motion, stressed all statistics on the benefits and importance of pushing towards net zero for the council were from scientific and local government experts.

He added: “These are people that are experts in this and know far more than I do certainly, and clearly far more than some other people in this chamber do.”

Councillor Jim Yare, Green Party representative in the West Park ward, said the position of the group is backed “by scientific research, empirically researched and cross-examined”.

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He added: “The overwhelming majority of the scientific community, to the point it is 99.9% of it, is completely firm on the fact that climate change is as a result of human interference and biological conditions on this planet.

“Every fossil fuel is a finite resource, if we do not start to pivot away from it, we’ve got two options.

“We run out of that resource and we’re not ready for the alternative, or this town falls under water because we’ve warmed the planet to the point where the ice caps have melted.”

He concluded: “The science is clear, we are in a climate crisis and it is caused by our actions.”

His Green group colleague councillor David Herbert added 2023 was the hottest year on record and if people think they have time to delay with pushing towards net zero they’re “wrong”.

Meanwhile Green councillor Chris Davies stated electric vehicles have a “significantly smaller carbon footprint” than those with an internal combustion engine.

A version of the initial motion was ultimately approved after it was amended by Labour councillors.