Hounslow Council Doesn’t Know How Much Climate Change Is Costing

Hounslow Council has not allotted any specific budget for climate change adaptation. It does not possess any estimates of how much tackling climate change will cost the borough.

The council joined hundreds of organisations, including the Government, to declare a climate emergency and has drafted a climate emergency action plan.

This plan, which was presented to the cabinet in January, outlines how the borough plans to reduce carbon emissions through project like making all their cars electric, reducing employee transport and ensuring their investments are sustainable.

The consultation on their plan ended last month with an outcome expected later this year. However, this was planned before the current pandemic.

Hounslow’s climate chief, Katherine Dunne, told My London that the climate emergency is still a priority despite the current public health crisis.

“We haven’t forgotten about this. We haven’t abandoned it. There is a public health emergency going on but there is a massive climate emergency and we are still doing the work and it is still part of our plans,” she said.

The findings were made by media literacy charity The Student View through a Freedom of Information request.