Archived press release

Wiltshire council reconfirms commitment to fighting climate change

16 September 2009

Today Wiltshire Council overwhelmingly rejected a motion to withdraw the local authority from a national initiative to tackle climate change. Friends of the Earth has welcomed the result of the vote - in which 85 councillors reiterated support for action on climate change, compared to only 6 who wanted the council to withdraw.

Friends of the Earth's Regional Campaign Co-ordinator Mike Birkin said:

"Friends of the Earth is delighted that Wiltshire Council has reconfirmed its support for action to fight global warming - local councils have a key role to play in combating climate change.

"Now Wiltshire Council should move forward by supporting Friends of the Earth's Get Serious About CO₂ campaign - that means committing to cut Wiltshire's emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2020 and producing an action plan detailing exactly how it will make the cuts.

"To prevent dangerous climate change, every council must play its part to meet our national emissions targets.

"There must be a minimum standard of action - the Government must ensure that tackling climate change is a central policy for all local authorities.

"Cutting energy waste, developing green energy and providing better alternatives to car use will create new jobs and reduce our reliance on dwindling fossil fuels."

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. The councillors were calling for Wiltshire Council to remove itself from the Nottingham Declaration arguing against "a widely disputed theory that industrial mankind causes global warming." Over 300 councils have so far signed the Declaration which commits councils and their partners to systematically address the causes of climate change and to prepare their community for its impacts.

Bid to withdraw Wiltshire council from carbon-cutting agreement.

The motion went to a full meeting of Wiltshire Council in Trowbridge at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday 15 September 2009. It was proposed by nine councillors - See Item 25 - Notices of Motions.

The Nottingham Declaration commits councils to action on climate change and has been signed by over 300 English local authorities.

2. In an interview on The Andrew Marr show on Sunday 13 September 2009, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said: "The real issue is do we carry on in a high carbon way or do we, for example, go down the wind power route, the nuclear route and the clean coal. And government is putting in place the policies to make this happen...

"We're changing the rules. There's something important in the changes to the rules we're doing. We're saying to local authorities who make the decisions on wind power, for example, you should tell us where the best places are for wind power - where the wind is blowing the greatest - where can they have the most potential."

"But you can't simply say no to everything - we're not part of the Government's strides towards greater renewable energy. And I think that's an important change."

View the clip

3. 76 per cent of respondents in an opinion poll in March 2008 agreed that local councils have a key role in tackling climate change [Source: ComRes poll for the Local Government Association, March 2008].

4. Friends of the Earth believes the environment is for everyone. We want a healthy planet and a good quality of life for all those who live on it. We inspire people to act together for a thriving environment. We campaign on a range of issues including climate change, biodiversity, waste, transport and food. For further information visit http://www.foe.co.uk/.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust