Council champions drive to reduce own carbon footprint

10.26.07am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 7th Jun 2007

Environmental champions are being recruited among Richmond Council staff in a determined effort to reduce the authority's own carbon footprint and increase recycling.

The Council will set the ball rolling on World Environment Day - when recruitment gets under way. Staff are being invited to a lunchtime screening of Al Gore's award-winning film "An Inconvenient Truth", to raise awareness of how the climate is changing and the need for action at work and home. The capital-wide sustainability campaign "Love London" will also be present with their electric car and giant globe to promote ways that the capital can become more sustainable. The day will be part of a long-term initiative to recruit Environmental Champions across the Council. Staff will help implement schemes to save energy and water and tackle the amount of waste that is produced in Council offices.

The Council's Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Martin Elengorn, said:

"Climate change is the major environmental challenge facing the world in the 21st century. As a Council, we want to be the exemplar authority nationally on this issue and are committed to reducing our impact on the environment and leading by example. In order to achieve our aim of being the most sustainable Council in London, we need the support and commitment of our staff, residents and businesses. We have to put our own house in order, and we have already had a great response from staff, which shows how interested they are in this key issue. And we are drawing up a climate change action plan to ensure everyone in the wider community too can join our efforts."