Unveiled! - a budget to beat dangerous climate change
13/02/2007 07:51Today charity Sustainability South West releases new figures for a ten year carbon budget plan to stop us going into the red on climate change.
The region needs to reduce its CO2 emissions to help reduce the risks of dangerous global warming. The figures of the new ten year budget (circulated in a report to regional agencies today) show we would need to reduce our CO2 emissions by roughly 10% this year and by around 30% (on the current average) by 2016.
“This budget responds to expert advice that our actions during the next 10 years will count most in the battle against runaway climate change” explains Leslie Watson, Director of Sustainability South West. “Dangerous climate change will be bad news for our economy, communities and our environment but if we act now we can take advantage of the huge opportunities offered by a new low carbon economy that is fit for the 21st Century.”
The ten year Carbon Action budget is part of Sustainability South West’s
Fair Shares, Fair Choice project. It is based on the principles of an internationally recognised model [see Note 2 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 Fair Shares, Fair Choice, which is due to be launched this March will offer a choice of virtual ‘carbon coaches’, characters who will offer businesses, organisations and individuals help and support in creating their own beneficial carbon action plans.
SSW’s Chair, Julian Dennis, Director of Compliance and Sustainability at Wessex Water says, “There are many advantages to be gained by developing a low carbon approach - video conferencing for meetings, technology to support more home working and mainstreaming the use of renewable energy could secure businesses and organisations savings on energy and travel costs and gain new business from the growing environmental technologies market.”
Sustainability South West believes that our region is very well placed to lead the way in adopting low carbon living and working 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.