On the same day you published an open letter from 16 different organisations calling for Manchester City Council to take the strongest possible course when re-arranging its scrutiny arrangements so that climate action gets examined and accelerated (Viewpoints, M.E.N. 16 March), your newspaper had two alarming articles.

On page 14 an article tells us that “driving emissions down to ‘net zero’ will not be enough on its own to properly combat the climate emergency”. This statement is not from a wild-eyed leftie radical, but the head of the Environment Agency, Sir James Bevan.

On page 19 an article based on a survey by the campaign group Teach the Future reveals that “More than two in three teachers have not received enough training to educate students on climate change.”

In ten years time, people will look back in amazement that there was any debate whatsoever about the right course of action.  At its meeting on Wednesday 31st March, Manchester City Council must create a scrutiny committee that looks at the whole city’s emissions, not just the council’s.

It needs to be empowered to look at all aspects of the city’s response – its businesses, the cultural sector, education, everything.  Anything less is completely inadequate to the scale of the threat we face.