Derbyshire campaigners protest against Reform UK's decision to axe climate change committee

The climate change committee was responsible for monitoring the council's climate goals and targets but was axed by the authority’s new leadership earlier this month.

Campaigners held placards and banners with images of flooding, wildfires and ruined crops during the protest in Matlock on Monday.

Kerry O’ Connor 37, a hotel housekeeper from Staveley said: “It’s no secret that oil and gas interests are one of Reform UK’s biggest funders and their science denying attacks on Net Zero and other climate policy only serve the interests of their funders. Reform party leaders declared “war” on clean energy and have instructed new Reform councils to do the same.

“They said Net Zero is not a priority, that the Net Zero agenda is costing every single person in this country a lot of money. Well what about the costs of flooding, wildfires, heatwaves, mass climate migration and crop failure? Their attacks on climate action are a betrayal of not just the people of Derbyshire but the entire country and future generations.”

Amy Trewick, 34, an ecologist from Swanick added: “Climate and ecological breakdown is the greatest threat humanity has ever faced. It threatens our economy, public health, food security and homes; and not just in the future, we are already seeing the impacts of it in recent years with flash flooding and droughts in Derbyshire, with strong evidence that this will only exacerbate in our lifetime.

“Resolving this crisis and addressing government targets should be at the top of any government’s agenda, at a global, national and local level.”

Announcing the decision to axe the climate change committee Councillor Jodie Brown, vice chair of the council, said it was “an expensive talking shop that produced no measurable results”.

Council leader Alan Graves told the Derbyshire Times he had hoped to speak to the campaigners but was in a meeting in Derby however the cabinet member responsible for Council Efficiency (DOGE) had spoken to the group.

He added: “The decision was taken on the basis of our campaigning, it’s not what people want. We don't want to focus on that element. We want clean water, trees and countryside but we don't want to be wasting a lot of time, energy and money on Net Zero. We don’t accept there will be more floods because we have got rid of the climate change committee.”