PRESS RELEASE
Issued by:
Councillor Simon Holbrook,
Deputy Leader, Wirral Council,
and Cabinet Member for Corporate Services
Date of Issue: July 8th 2008
Contact number: 07824 431295

Combating Climate Change - Council leads the way

Wirral Council is well on the way to meeting its targets to combat climate change.
Councillor Simon Holbrook, Wirral Council's Deputy Leader says,

“Local councils have a crucial role to play in responding to the threats and challenges of climate change. We must lead the way by reducing our emissions of greenhouse gases.
“Our target is to achieve a 20% reduction in Wirral Council's carbon emissions by 2010.
“This is a significant challenge but, thanks to the raft of measures we've already put in place, we're already well ahead, with a reduction of 22% on our 2003/04 carbon footprint.”

“And when the carbon-free ‘green' electricity we purchase is taken into account, the reduction is a massive 63%.

“This is not only good for our environment but, in the current context of soaring energy prices, it also makes good long-term economic sense.“

‘Reducing the Council's carbon footprint' is a key objective in Wirral Council's new Corporate Plan, launched this year. The wide-ranging and innovative measures are all contained in a progress report to be discussed at tonight's meeting of the Council's Cabinet.

Councillor Holbrook concluded,

“From the use of ‘green electricity' in all Council buildings, to heat recovery in leisure centres, water reduction schemes in swimming pools, increases in waste minimisation and recycling, the trial use of bio-diesel in Council vehicles, etc, all the measures are aimed at ensuring that we reduce the environmental impact of all the Council's activities.”

Read the full report at Item 9 of the Cabinet Agenda here