What are the main threats facing East Anglia's environment?
'Huge energy projects mustn't come at the expense of the Suffolk landscape' Without question, the most important issue globally is climate change. Unless we keep the average rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius on pre-industrial levels, the implications are dire for us as a species, and for ecosystems the world over. That is why we recently declared a Climate Emergency at Suffolk County Council with the ambitious target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.However, locally my main concern is the huge energy projects, including Sizewell C and the ScottishPower Renewables wind farms, that we are expected to accommodate.Production of clean energy is essential but a small corridor of Suffolk is currently bearing the brunt of these nationally significant infrastructure projects. These schemes mustn't come at the expense of our rural communities and unique Suffolk landscape. We're lobbying Government to produce an over-arching Suffolk strategy to protect our county, give peace of mind to local residents, and provide clarity to us as local authorities. (Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council Cabinet member for the Environment)
