The Climate Change Act commits the UK to cut climate change emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. Local councils must take action if we are to hit the target. Local councils in Wales control a budget of £4 billion a year. They use this among other things to control:
- public and road transport
- our children's education
- what happens to our waste
- how our city is built and laid out
- the state of our parks.
At the moment there is no target or incentive for Welsh councils to cut carbon emissions. It is vital that they help deliver the solution. If Cardiff Council takes action to tackle climate change, it will:
How can the Council help?
Cardiff Friends of the Earth want Cardiff Council to take action to tackle climate change.
Councils have a big say in how we heat and power our homes and how we travel around. They could be doing much more to reduce our carbon emissions right now. The Council could:
- offer free loft and cavity-wall insulation to every home
- increase the level of recycling in Cardiff
- give planing permission for local renewable energy schemes
- refuse planning permission for energy-wasting developments
- reduce car use and improve other methods of transport
Doing this would have huge benefits. It would:
- create new green jobs
- Boost the local economy
- improve road safety
- secure local energy supplies
- cut people's fuel bills
- improve people's health
- reduce air pollution
- cut traffic
Insulating houses has other benefits. It lifts people out of fuel poverty. This allows them to spend the money on other things they need and keeps the money in the local economy, creating local jobs.
Making homes warmer improves health. Living in a cold and damp house is linked to illness and even death for older people and young children. It creates the 'beds crisis' every winter for NHS hospitals and is often a factor in the decision to put elderly people into care. Avoiding this saves money which can be re-invested in energy-saving measures and improves people's lives.
Friends of the Earth want councils to agree to cut their carbon emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2020 and produce a plan showing how they will do it. To do this the Welsh Assembly Government must agree targets with the councils and the UK Government must give them more money to fund the improvements needed.
Find out what action other councils have already taken.
Take Action
Sign our on-line petition asking councils to cut carbon dioxide emissions It only takes a minute to support this campaign.
Contact your local councillor and ask them to commit to reducing carbon emissions in Cardiff by at least 40 per cent by 2020. Ask them to make sure that the council produces an action plan to make the changes happen.
You can contact your councillors at the write to them website.