February 2007

Strongly welcoming the decision by Calderdale Council to sign up to the Nottingham Declaration - which commits the local authority to tackling climate change at the local level - Calderdale Friends of the Earth have nonetheless urged that much more needs to be done, and can be done.

Said spokesperson Janice Frost:

"We're really pleased that the Council has signed up to the Nottingham Declaration, but now we need an urgent Carbon Reduction Plan for all of Calderdale. It's not just essential for the environment; it will be good for jobs and people too."

"A great example would be for Calderdale to follow Kirklees Council in the latter's plans to offer cut-price insulation to around 30,000 households. This would reduce emissions, lower fuel bills and increase local employment; that's win-win win. What better way to invest the very large capital receipt the Council is likely to receive from the sale of its share in Leeds Bradford Airport, the headlong expansion of which is making climate change worse".

Other ideas suggested by Friends of the Earth include:

- More urgent action to improve the energy efficiency of new houses and other developments, including just better enforcement of the existing Building Regulations.

- An improvement on the 15% reduction target (covering the period 2003-15) set for the Council itself in its own carbon management action plan; this will also save on the Council revenue budget.

- More determined action to tackle the forecast increase in the district's road traffic.

- The comprehensive phasing out of ordinary (incandescent) lightbulbs by major Calderdale organisations, and their replacement by low-energy ones.

- Support for renewable energy generation schemes, where these can be implemented without environmental impact.

Janice added: "We look forward to working with the Council as, this year and next, they develop plans with the Calderdale community to reduce local emissions, as they have now promised to do under the Nottingham Declaration. It's really urgent that we all work together to make this happen."

Nationally Friends of the Earth have led the way in promoting the Climate Change Bill, which will require government to reduce UK emissions every year by at least 3%. The principle of the bill has been supported by both Calderdale MPs; the proposed legislation will be published next month.