Council gearing up to meet climate change challenge

8.17.00pm GMT Sat 24th Feb 2007

Moves to develop a strategy geared to reducing greenhouse gas emissions throughout the borough are gathering pace.

A report to be considered by the Council's Cabinet on Monday, February 26, sets out the framework for the strategy, which will be led by the Council's new Sustainability Unit headed by Sustainability Manager Michael Doust. The strategy will build on the Nottingham Declaration, signed by the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive last year. When finalised, it will contain a series of action plans aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions within the Council and across the borough. The report recommends that the Council looks at how emissions can be reduced in its own buildings and through the services it provides as well as in schools and the wider community. The final strategy should be in place by the end of the year.

Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Martin Elengorn, said: "Climate change is the major challenge facing the world in the 21st century. The scale and speed of change will be unprecedented and have profound impacts in the UK and across the world. Local government has a vital role to play as a community leader in tackling climate change and the strategy will set out our response. It will focus on reducing emissions of greenhouse gases across all sources in the borough and also consider how we can best adapt to changes in the climate already under way. Working in partnership with the community is absolutely crucial and we will be involving local residents and businesses through a variety of activities and consultations planned for later in the year. The strategy will set concrete targets for emission reduction, which will exceed national targets. As an immediate step, we will work together with the Carbon Trust to develop a comprehensive plan to reduce energy consumption and cut carbon emissions in the Council's own buildings."