Haringey Council commits to Get Serious About CO2

Haringey Council voted unanimously for our campaign target at the full council meeting on 19 October. Local group coordinators Tim Root and Quentin Given had a deputation to the meeting and called for a unanimous vote. They then answered questions from councillors. Labour councillor Emma Jones then moved the motion, and Lib Dem Bob Hare moved a strengthening amendment which gave the Leader responsibility for delivery and called on the council to lobby government too. Every councillor present, from all three parties, then voted for the motion.

Council leader Claire Kober and cabinet member for the environment Brian Haley had already committed to adopting our target, to reduce CO2 emissions from the whole of Haringey by 40% by 2020, when they met FOE Executive Director Andy Atkins on 2 October.

Members of the local groups, Tottenham and Wood Green and Muswell Hill and Hornsey, handed Claire the 620 signed postcards we had collected from local people. We handed the cards addressed to individual councillors at the council meeting.

Group co-ordinator Quentin Given said "this is great news. Haringey has to get serious about cutting its emissions. This will send a message to government and Copenhagen that people are ready to take serious steps to tackle climate change."

Andy Atkins said "I will use this example when I meet Ed Milliband and world leaders at Copenhagen."