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Leeds unveils 'ambitious' climate change strategy - 18/12/07
An "ambitious" climate change strategy for Leeds will be considered by the city council this week.
The strategy looks at how the city can reduce its carbon footprint and improve resilience, building on the work of Leeds city council which has been striving to improve the city's green credentials for two years.
Councillor Steve Smith, Leeds city council's executive member for Environmental Services and chair of the Climate Change Partnership, explained why the strategy is so important.
He said: "Protecting the environment, making Leeds an environmentally sustainable city, and working out how to deal with climate change ? these are crucial actions to safeguard the future of the city.
"There is already some great work going on in the city but we need to involve as many partners as possible to make real progress, from individual residents to the largest organisations. The council is only directly responsible for about 1.5 per cent of emissions in Leeds and the strategy will only succeed if other organisations also commit to reducing emissions."
Leeds city council laid the foundations for the climate change strategy in June 2006 when it signed the Nottingham Declaration on climate change, committing to plans with partners and communities across the city to address green issues.
Statistics show that between 2005 and 2006 the council was responsible for around 95,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
These emissions came from council buildings, street lighting and fleet vehicles, which the council plans to combat with "green electricity", the installation of smart gas and electricity meters in council buildings and the introduction of "energy guardians".
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