Suffolk council stands by climate declaration decision after Dunwich Heath wildfire
It insisted the move was about focusing on "practical outcomes" rather than symbolic statements.
Suffolk County Council has defended its decision to scrap its climate emergency declaration following the ongoing wildfire at Dunwich Heath, which started on Wednesday (29th July 2026), insisting the move was about focusing on "practical outcomes" rather than symbolic statements.
The council voted on 16 July to rescind the declaration, first adopted in 2019, and launch a review of its climate, net zero and environmental programmes. The review will assess existing projects against criteria including environmental outcomes, value for money and statutory requirements before reporting back to Cabinet with recommendations on whether schemes should continue, be modified or end.
The decision has since come under renewed scrutiny following the wildfire, which continues to burn beneath the surface of Dunwich Heath.
"It's about moving forward to a different approach"
Speaking to us, Reform Councillor Morgan Brobyn, Suffolk County Council's Cabinet Member for Food, Waste and Rural Affairs, rejected suggestions the council regretted rescinding the declaration.
"If we were to say that we regretted that, we would have to agree with the logic that some councillors have put forward that if there was no rescinding of the climate change emergency, the fire wouldn't have happened," he said.
"That's not just disingenuous. I believe it's quite shameful to take a tragic event such as this and use it for political capital or political gain."
He added that the cause of the fire has yet to be established and will be investigated once the incident is over.
"It's not about denying climate change or the frequency of extreme weather. It's about moving forward to a different approach."
"We do not deny climate change. We do not deny extreme weather. We need to prepare and increase our resilience"
The council has repeatedly said rescinding the declaration does not mean it is abandoning environmental work.
When the motion was approved, Councillor Brobyn said the decision was about ensuring environmental stewardship was "practical, effective and focused on outcomes", rather than maintaining declarations "for their own sake". The council says it will continue work on issues including flood resilience, biodiversity and waste reduction while reviewing existing programmes.
During the interview, Councillor Brobyn said local government should prioritise adapting to the effects of climate change rather than focusing primarily on reducing carbon emissions.
"We do not deny climate change. We do not deny extreme weather frequencies becoming more intense and happening more often," he said.
"What we need to focus on is delivering the real tangible benefits and the real tangible protections, things like addressing water scarcity, biodiversity and flood protection.
"Whether we like it or not, the climate is changing and these events will become more frequent. So we need to prepare and increase our resilience."
Local councils need to focus on resilience
He argued that reducing global carbon emissions should primarily be the responsibility of national governments working internationally, while councils should concentrate on protecting local communities.
Councillor Brobyn also said local authorities needed greater support from central government to strengthen resilience.
"We need more support from national government to enable local government to carry out the real work on the ground," he said.
He pointed to water scarcity, coastal erosion and wildfire preparedness as areas requiring greater national investment, adding: "We need to have a national wildfire strategy ... This isn't the first wildfire, and it certainly won't be the last."
The Government has announced new specialist wildfire response teams and a £97 million investment in National Resilience assets in June.
His comments come after the Suffolk Fire Brigades Union wrote to the Prime Minister calling for increased investment in firefighters, specialist equipment and wildfire capability, warning that major heathland fires could become more common.
While stressing responsibility for the fire service sits with another cabinet member, Councillor Brobyn said the union's intervention reinforced concerns about resources.
"It is very damning that they've chosen to write this letter and appeal directly to the Prime Minister," he said.
"That confirms that the emergency services, the fire and rescue services, and I'm sure it's a similar picture across the country, feel under-resourced, and they are under-resourced."
With firefighters continuing to tackle hotspots at Dunwich Heath, Councillor Brobyn said the council would wait for the outcome of the fire investigation before deciding whether further local measures were needed.
"There will have to be a full investigation," he said.
"Once the investigation has reached its conclusion, we will then look at steps we can take, whether it be guidance, advice or information campaigns, and work with landowners and land managers to come up with the strongest resilience measures we possibly can."
He also thanked firefighters from Suffolk and neighbouring counties, local community leaders and volunteers who supported residents during the incident, and urged the public to continue avoiding affected areas while the fire remains active.
Government response
A Government spokesperson said it would "continue to make sure that Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service have the resources and support they need" and pointed to nearly £100 million of investment in national resilience, including specialist wildfire equipment and firefighter training.
During a visit to Suffolk last week, the Prime Minister also said the Government would ensure the county's fire service received "whatever help" it needed, adding that fire and rescue services must be "resourced properly and trained" to respond to increasingly frequent wildfires.