Emma Moore

I joined the council in October 2021. My work involves helping to monitor and reduce the council’s carbon emissions and look at ways that we, as a council, can adapt to climate change. I am part of a small team dedicated to helping the council achieve its aim to become carbon neutral by 2050.

I am passionate about the environment and want to do everything I can to tackle climate change. My job is important because climate change is the most pressing problem we all face. Everyone must do their bit to tackle, mitigate and reduce climate change; it is a global effort that requires local action.

I love being able to learn something new every day, and research a topic I am very interested in; talking to people about climate change and hearing their thoughts and ideas on the subject. I am especially keen to work with younger people to help them understand these issues and how they can get involved. I’ll also be working with our team of climate change champions, volunteers from across the council who are passionate about helping us achieve our carbon neutral goal.

I believe a lot more people now understand what climate change is, and what it means for them, and future generations. However, there is still some belief that it isn’t happening, or it isn’t really a big problem as there have been climate fluctuations in the geological past, so some people ask why is this any different?

Yes, climate has fluctuated in the past, but it is the rate that it is now happening which is so alarming and the reason it is an emergency, that we need to tackle now, and into the future. I want to help people realise the severity of the climate change emergency and help them tackle it.

One of my personal passions is our coral reefs. They are being hit hard because of climate change, with ocean acidification, sediment, and bleaching caused by rising ocean temperatures; they simply don’t have the time to adapt to the rapidly changing climate. I also enjoy gardening and have learnt a lot about the natural world, and how to reuse things instead of throwing them away. I hope to be able to use these skills in my work.

Find out more about the council’s pledge to become carbon neutral by 2050 and how you can help to play your part at www.darlington.gov.uk/sustainable You can also take a look at Emma’s blog on gardening and other blogs by clicking the link on the page.

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