Cann calls on Government to set annual targets for carbon emissions reductions

3.49.10pm GMT Tue 23rd Jan 2007

Andrew Cann brought the Nottingham declaration to Suffolk County Council

The following letter appeared in the Evening Star, 23rd January 2007

In the Queen's speech in November 2006 it was announced that the Government plans to introduce a Climate Change Bill. If early indications of the content of the bill are correct it will set binding targets for carbon emissions, but unfortunately the Government refused to take the logical step of setting annual targets.

There have to be annual targets so the Government's progress can be assessed. When governments have 4 years in office merely setting a target for 2050 is pointless. It looks as if the best we can expect from the Bill is going to be intermediate targets every five years, which is of course longer than the typical parliament. This means in effect that the Government would be setting 'not-in-my-term-of-office' targets.

We are looking forward to working with our Liberal Democrat colleagues on the Climate Change Bill both nationally and locally in Suffolk. We have already managed to get Suffolk County Council and Ipswich Borough Council to sign up to the Nottingham Declaration on climate change, pledging to reduce the authorities carbon footprint wherever possible. We hope to continue this good work in the future.

This bill, if strengthened, could be a vital first step towards tackling carbon emissions in the UK, but we need a Government that proposes solutions, not just targets. If targets alone solved problems, this would be the best-governed country in the world. Therefore I urge readers to write to their MP and request that they try to persuade the Government that taxing pollution not people is the only way we can meet our agreed targets.

Cllr. Andrew Cann

Deputy Leader

Suffolk County Council Lib Dem Group