Local Parliamentary Candidates call on Council support 10:10 Campaign

12.00.00am GMT Tue 8th Dec 2009

Northampton Borough Council has unanimously supported a proposal led by Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidates for Northampton North, Cllr Andrew Simpson & Cllr Scott Collins for South Northamptonshire, to sign up to the 10:10 Campaign to cut the Councils' carbon emissions by 10% by the end of 2010.

Scott Collins with Simon Hughes MP supporting the 10:10 Campaign

The motion was proposed by Andrew Simpson and seconded by Scott Collins and was as below:-

"Notices of Motion

(i) Councillor Simpson to move and Councillor Collins to second:

This Council applauds the launch of the 10:10 campaign, which encourages organisations across the public, private and third sectors to cut their carbon emissions by 10% in 2010.

This Council considers it vital that local government demonstrates robust political leadership in responding to the climate crisis and that the United Kingdom does more to reduce its carbon emissions and develop the green technologies needed to generate economic growth in the years ahead.

This Council further considers it important for the Borough of Northampton to lead by example in reducing its carbon emissions and to strive to be a regional leader on environmental issues.

This Council notes with great regret last month's floods across the North West of England and recognises the link between extraordinary weather patterns and man-made climate change.

This Council resolves to sign to the 10:10 campaign, in accordance with other Liberal Democrat-run authorities, setting its baseline for emissions at 31st December 2009."

In proposing that the Council sign up Cllr Andrew Simpson said "It is fitting that on the same day that the world gathers in Copenhagen for the United Nations Climate Change Summit we in Northampton do our bit and sign up to the 10:10 Campaign to cut emissions".

"The 10:10 Campaign is aimed at everybody and designed to give people a chance to help do something practical to help tackle climate change" continued Andrew. "Sometimes big world summits and targets for years ahead seem too remote, with the 10:10 Campaign we are simply committing to try and cut the UK's carbon emission by 10% by the end of 2010. Something real and achievable."

In seconding the motion Scott said "I have grave fears for the future of the planet as we know it if we do not act now. It is not all about making the hard decisions, sometimes just doing the easy things like being careful about lights that are left on or electrical items left on standby instead of being turned off that can make a difference.

The longer we persist in doing nothing the more dramatic the things we will need to do to fix the problem will be.

This is not a maybe issue we either act now as individuals, as a Council, as a community and as a world or it will be our children, grandchildren and their children that will pay the cost for our folly in not acting"

In spite of the whole council unanimously supporting the motion the debate was not without a couple of Conservatives saying that Climate Change was being over hyped for political ends and that flooding in Cockermouth and Dumfries was not down to Climate Change and the weather wether patterns it creates but instead down to poor flood defences.

I will leave you to decide which view you support.