Meet carbon reduction targets

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To do what is required at both national and local levels to meet carbon reduction targets.
There has been some very bold legislation and some well-written documents, but although the clock is ticking down, little sign of the concerted and focused leadership necessary to turn targets into outcomes.

In spite of the best efforts from a few councils, this disconnect has resulted in a public who are both fearful and confused.

This is a moral issue. We have just a few years to build a vision of a low-carbon society, prepare our communities for a period of great change, and facilitate courageous decision-making by our leaders. Take one, very mundane, example that involves local authorities:  Although I assume the best sites came forward first, to-date over 50% of applications for wind farms have been refused.

So what process is in place to achieve the six-fold increase necessary to meet the cross-party supported target for 2020? Cracking “nimbys” over the head with ministerial national policy statements will alienate, rather than build, community understanding and will never succeed in areas such as transport and carbon neutral homes which depend upon public cooperation. Local Authorities are close enough to citizens to lead this process, but according to the UK transition plan, less than a quarter included carbon reduction targets in their Local Area Agreements.

The actions and the timescale posed by climate change creates the type of challenge that comes once in a generation. Over the last two decades, Councils have got used to “doing their best” to either cope with, or fend-off, a blizzard of policy initiatives. This challenge is different, it was Churchill who said “Sometimes it is not enough to our best; we must do what is required”.

Moving responsibilities between local or national agencies, and re-organizing local government may be highly desirable, but they are not critical to the life prospects of our children and future generations around the globe. Climate change is. We all hope that the transition will be easy, but any responsible manifesto must commit to doing what is required locally, nationally and internationally.

Duncan Kerr, director, A Climate 4 Change

Posted on November 10, 2009 · in UK

Tagged as: Carbon Neutral • Carbon Reduction • carbon targets