PRESS RELEASE
Issued by:
Councillor Gill Gardiner
Date of Issue: December 7th 2009
Contact numbers:
0151 625 2738
07983 624610
Lib Dem office: 0151 691 8544

FIRST IN THE NORTH WEST - WIRRAL LIBERAL DEMOCRATS PUSH FOR ‘CARBON BUDGETS'

Designed to tie in with the United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in Copenhagen between 7th and 18th December, Wirral Liberal Democrat Councillors are building on their commitment to tackling climate change by proposing that Wirral Council be amongst the first local authorities in the country to implement a “carbon budget”.

In a Notice of Motion due to be debated in the Council Chamber at the meeting of Full Council on 14th December, the Liberal Democrats seeks to put carbon budgeting on a level footing with financial budgeting. The aim is that by setting an annual carbon budget for each Council department and building a clearer picture of the environmental impact of Council spending, carbon budgeting will help to meet the local, national and, if Copenhagen negotiations go to plan, global carbon reduction targets.

Wirral Liberal Democrat Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Gill Gardiner said, “This Council has an excellent track record of recycling, waste reduction and energy efficiency. We want to take this to the next stage by embedding carbon reduction into our financial planning and make sure the Council knows and understands the environmental impact of all its activities.”

Wirral Liberal Democrat Cabinet member for Corporate Services and Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Simon Holbrook added, “We know that there are financial savings to be made through procurement of energy efficient and low carbon contracts, goods and services. In the future, financial and carbon budgeting will become inseparable as carbon trading results in carbon having a value which will have to appear in budgets and balance sheets.

“This forward looking measure will mean Wirral is well placed to play its part in reducing the effects of climate change.  Each department will prepare carbon budgets, detailing carbon emissions and carbon reduction targets, for presentation at Budget Cabinet and Council alongside the Council's financial budget.”

To read the Carbon Budget Notice of Motion for 14th December Council click here