Uttlesford Conservatives Snub Environmental Campaign

9.56.00pm GMT Sun 17th Jan 2010

In a letter to the local press, Stansted Liberal Democrat councillor Alan Dean has condemned Conservative-led Uttlesford District Council's refusal to sign up to the 10:10 campaign, which aims to persuade individuals, businesses and organisations to reduce their CO2 emissions by 10% in 2010 (www.1010uk.org). The Conservatives who lead Essex County Council also voted down a Liberal Democrat proposal to join the 10:10 campaign. Many other Conservative-led councils are also in denial about climate change.

"Despite widespread disappointment that international leaders could not pull off a better deal at the Copenhagen climate change conference, some commentators are putting their faith in local leadership to cut carbon emissions.

Across the UK some 100 local authorities have signed up to the 10:10 campaign to cut their own carbon emissions by 10% during 2010 as a symbolic and significant step in the right direction. It is, therefore, disappointing that Uttlesford council has failed to grasp the opportunity to demonstrate ambition and local leadership.

Uttlesford is half way through a five-year plan to cut its global warming gases by 25%. Now in its third year, the council has slipped by a full year. It was on course to achieve only two-fifths of its five-year commitment until new measures were agreed last month which will both cut council tenants' heating bills as well as help to bring the plan back on track.

So the council needs to achieve a 10% cut in 2010 to catch up on its own plan, but the ruling Conservatives would not sign up to the 10:10 campaign because it is someone else's idea. The planet and its peoples cannot wait for politicians who will not learn from and cooperate with each other, whether they are from China, the USA or even those who straddle the M11."