Allerdale looks set to become the latest Cumbrian council to put the climate change crisis at the top of its agenda.

Keswick councillor Sally Lansbury has submitted a motion setting out the steps the local authority should take to help save the planet.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, published in October, humanity has just over a decade to turn the environmental crisis around.

“Business as usual is clearly no longer an option,” the Labour member said in her call to action.

Her motion, which will be discussed at next week’s meeting of the full council, said: “Extreme weather events over the last few years have presented severe challenges to property, transport, agriculture and other services in the Allerdale council area and have led to the deaths and displacement of thousands of people worldwide.

“The Met Office clearly states that these kind of extreme weather events are significantly more likely on a planet with human-caused climate change.”

A growing number of councils nationwide have passed motions declaring a climate emergency or have signed up to the UK100 Agreement, pledging to achieve 100 per cent clean energy usage by 2050 in their region.

But the IPCC report shows this target must be reached much sooner to avoid the tipping point.

The motion urges councillors to pledge to go even further than the UK100 Agreement by reducing emissions to net zero by 2030, a much more ambitious target.

Under the proposals, the council will carry out an urgent review of its carbon emissions and produce an action plan within the next six months.

The plans would also see Allerdale council working closely with other local authorities to share resources and organise events and partner workshops.

An Allerdale Partnership Climate Change group would be set up, drawing on expertise from Councillors, residents, young citizens, climate science and businesses.

The council would also seek to proactively include young people in the process, ensuring that are given a voice in shaping the future.