Region's Young Climate Change Champion helps to launch carbon budget cards in climate friendly restaurant
23/03/2007 10:20The South West’s young climate change champion will be helping the charity, Sustainability South West, to launch the first ever personal carbon budget cards in Bristol’s most sustainable restaurant, today. The cards are part of the Fair Shares, Fair Choice project which aims to help everyone to make positive choices to reduce the risk of dangerous climate change.
“Experts advise that what we do during the next 10 years will matter most in the battle to halt runaway Climate Change,” explains the charity’s Director, Leslie Watson, “so we have no time to waste - it’s time for action!”
Young people in the region will be most affected by the impacts of climate change. Defra’s Youth Climate Change Champion for the South West is 14-year-old Lucy Stansfield, who is working to raise awareness among the region’s young people of the need to combat climate change. Lucy says “I have been involved in quite a few things both nationally and internationally, however this is my first regional event. I am very excited to be here to support this great project. It is really important that we all make the effort to reduce our impact on the environment.“
Lucy will join other guests to celebrate the launch of the climate change project by enjoying a ‘fair share’ piece of a specially baked Fair Shares, Fair Choice low-carbon cake made with locally sourced and fair-trade ingredients! Amy Robinson, Sustainability Manager at the Bordeaux Quay restaurant on Bristol’s waterfront, also supports the new project explaining, "Individuals and businesses need to start taking responsibility for the impact that they have on the environment. At Bordeaux Quay we are working hard towards a sustainable future. We are very pleased to support this initiative and hope that others will follow suit."
The project’s carbon cards are based on a new 10 year carbon budget* which show we need to reduce our CO2 emissions by roughly 10% this year and by around 30% (on the current average) by 2017. Sustainability South West’s scheme recognises the urgency for short- term action with annual targets to achieve climate safety and the need for a fair share approach in which everyone has an equal share of carbon to use or trade with should systems become available. Leslie Watson explains,”The Fair Shares, Fair Choice carbon budget won’t short change the less well-off - or the planet. The carbon budget is based on the principles of an internationally recognised model [see Note 5 below] which predicts how the atmosphere will behave over time. It calculates carbon budgets which are applied in an equitable way, recognising the differences between developed and developing economies.”
The cards are backed up by the new Fair Shares, Fair Choice website, www.fairsharesfairchoice.com, which offers a choice of virtual ‘carbon coaches’, characters who will offer positive advice, tips and encouragement for living within a fair carbon budget at home, work and play. The project has received Defra funding from the Government Office of the South West. Andrew Slade, GOSW's Director of Sustainability and Rural Affairs, who has himself signed up to the Fair Shares, Fair Choice challenge, says, "This is a great way for people to learn about the principles of carbon-budgeting, to work out the personal impact they are having on climate change, and to make their own contribution to tackling the problem. Everyone can play a part."
SSW’s Chair, Julian Dennis, Director of Compliance and Sustainability at Wessex Water says, “Fair Shares, Fair Choice is not about telling people how to live their lives but it will help us to understand that the choices we make about how we heat our homes, get around or shop all have a different ‘carbon price’ which we will all pay in the long run. There are many social and economic advantages to be gained from a low carbon lifestyle.” Sustainability South West believes that this region is very well placed to lead the way in the low carbon agenda and that our economy, personal well being and environment would all benefit. *Report available on request
© 2007 Sustainability South West - UK registered charity, no. 1106125 - info@sustainabilitysouthwest.org.uk.