DEMANDS for urgent ‘wartime’ action to tackle the climate emergency were heard at a recent meeting, organised by Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth.

The lively public meeting, at Narberth’s Queens Hall, which was held to discuss the recent declaration of a Climate Emergency by Pembrokeshire County Council, made numerous policy recommendations for the politicians to consider.

Among the many attending were Labour Party candidate Marc Tierney and County Councillor Vic Dennis.

Following a notice of motion last month and the backing of calling a climate change emergency by Pembrokeshire County Council, more details were discussed at corporate overview and scrutiny committee on June 6.

Speaking after the recent Narberth meeting, Eleanor Clegg, coordinator of Pembrokeshire FoE, said: “It was felt that the climate crisis is now so severe that a plan needed to be drafted to make the whole of Pembrokeshire, rather than just the county council, achieve net zero emissions of climate heating gases by 2030.

“In order to achieve this, there would have to be a big improvement in energy efficiency in homes and buildings, which would lower people’s fuel bills and create jobs locally. There would have to be a similar increase in renewable energy systems, such as solar and onshore and offshore wind, that could make the county an energy exporter, rather than an energy importer, bringing income into the county.

“There were numerous criticisms of the planning process for being too slow and inflexible to react to the rapidly changing climate and suggestions as to how this could be speeded up.

“Many other recommendations were made, such as widespread tree-planting and habitat restoration, more frequent and affordable buses, the setting up of community energy projects and the formation of a Citizens’ Assembly.

“The meeting welcomed the county council’s resolutions and congratulated it on many of its achievements to date, as highlighted in the initial feedback to the Corporate Overview & Scrutiny. But, as a representative of Extinction Rebellion emphasised, the scientific evidence shows that we are in a proper emergency that required a similar response to wartime.”