At its June 15 meeting, council will consider a report from staff recommending the adoption of the climate change position statement.

The statement begins by saying that council "accepts the overwhelming scientific evidence presented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change".

Through the statement, council specifically acknowledges that the global climate is changing because of increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and that these increased concentrations are largely the result of human activity.

It also acknowledges the "extreme risk climate change presents to the economic, ecological and social futures of our region", and the need for council to take action.

The statement lists the actions council will take to mitigate how much the climate will change in the future.

Developing a climate change position statement was part of the Bathurst Regional Climate Change Response Framework that was endorsed by council in June, 2020.

It comes after councillors were reluctant to use the phrase "climate change" in 2019 when then councillor Monica Morse put up a notice of motion in an effort to acknowledge changes to weather and climate in the Bathurst region.

READ MORE: Council agrees to formally acknowledge the changing climate - just

The wording of the original motion referred to a "climate emergency", but this was amended just prior to the meeting, with councillors carefully selecting the phrase "change in the climate".

The motion councillors eventually voted on was that: "Bathurst Regional Council acknowledges that current weather patterns are outside the normal because of a change in the climate and that council should continue its focus on improving energy efficiency, investigating other renewable energy opportunities in order to reduce costs and developing plans to provide new water sources and to drought proof the city in the future."

The motion was narrowly passed with a five-four vote after a debate that was described by Cr Morse as "divisive".

Since then, though, the make-up of the councillors has changed.

Only four of the councillors who voted on the motion in 2019 will be able to vote on the climate change position statement this week.

Councillors Jess Jennings and Ian North supported the 2019 motion, while Warren Aubin and Graeme Hanger opposed it.

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