UK's first personal carbon budget cards launched in the South West today!
22/03/2007 08:17School children will be helping the charity, Sustainability South West, to launch the first ever personal carbon budget cards 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 while politicians squabble about strategies, we have no time to waste - it’s time for action!”
Young people in the region, who will be most affected by the impacts of climate change, clearly agree, judging by a vote of pupils from Coombeshead College in Devon that placed Climate Change & Sustainability as their top concerns. Principal, Richard Haigh, explains “The students are keen to take immediate action on climate change. Today they will show their support of the Fair Shares, Fair Choice, project by calculating their personal carbon-footprints, eating their ‘fair share’ of a ‘low-carbon cake’!, flying kites with the Fair Shares, Fair Choice message and talking about how young people are rising to the climate change challenge.”
The 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 claims to improve on the Government’s recent Climate Change Bill in two important ways – it 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, 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.
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 advantages to be gained from a low carbon lifestyle. We can improve our health by walking and cycling more and enjoy more locally sourced food and drink which also supports our local economies. We can reduce the stress of driving and flying by using video conferencing for more of our meetings or by working one day a week from home. Businesses will save on energy bills and gain from new environmental technologies.”
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.
© 2007 Sustainability South West - UK registered charity, no. 1106125 - info@sustainabilitysouthwest.org.uk.