Reform UK wants to overturn the climate emergency declared by the county council seven years ago, in a bid to focus on "more pressing" issues.

The leading group at Warwickshire County Council (WCC) will next week present a motion called 'resetting Warwickshire's environmental policies'.

If backed, the move would see the climate emergency declared in July 2019 overturned and would strip back the local authority's net zero targets.

In May this year the 'Recalibrating Warwickshire' plan was adopted at Shire Hall, labelling the council's net zero policies as "no longer economically sustainable in the short term".

This latest motion would see WCC move further away from its environmental commitments.

It said: "It [the council] has a more pressing duty to minimise the financial burdens placed upon Warwickshire families, motorists, farmers and businesses rather than continuing to act to satisfy local net zero or climate targets."

The motion continued: "The council should focus on what it can influence, working with stakeholders including the Environment Agency and other bodies to protect homes and businesses in Warwickshire from flooding, improve drainage, protect and improve local waterways and conserve Warwickshire's countryside, strengthen local energy resilience and, where practicable, contribute to wider national energy security conversations in the interests of reducing energy bills for Warwickshire residents."

Reform's motion noted that 106 properties were flooded during Storm Henk in January 2024, alongside 446 roads. There was more flooding in January 2025.

advertisement

The group says it wants to create a cross-party 'flood resilience' group to tackle the issue.

"A practical programme of flood resilience, environmental protection and secure, affordable energy would provide more meaningful benefits to Warwickshire residents than the continued use of an open-ended climate emergency framework," the motion added.

If it is backed, the move would see the 2019 climate emergency rescinded, as well as the council's commitment to make new council buildings carbon neutral.

The existing climate emergency working group would be disbanded after its next update to the council in December.

The motion will be presented to the full council on Tuesday 21 July.