As members will know, Friends of the Earth consider climate change to be the most critical environmental issue of our time. As well as launching our own campaign (The Big Ask) to introduce the Climate Change Bill at Westminster (sponsored by Michael Meacher, John Gummer and Norman Baker), FOE also joining the International Climate Change Coalition to press for a world-wide reduction in carbon dioxide emissions in accordance with the Kyoto agreement. In addition to these International and National campaigns, Friends of The Earth believe that Local Councils have a unique opportunity to make a substantial contribution to reducing carbon dioxide emissions through the new planning system: specifically, to incorporate a policy statement on emission reduction within their Local Development Frameworks.

Our Group therefore approached Dave Hockey to see if he would sponsor a Climate Change motion for our own Council and I am delighted to report that, at their January meeting, South Gloucestershire Council unanimously accepted a motion developed jointly by Dave, Jane Thompson and ourselves.

The motion commits the Council to lead by example and to develop a South Gloucestershire Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan to be agreed by September 2006. Such a strategy should assist with our objectives of reducing energy demands, promoting better public transport systems and building sustainable local. Work on developing this strategy will be carried out by the Local Agenda 21 forum of which our Group is a key member and we will be pressing for the establishment of challenging targets on greenhouse gas emissions for all developments on our area.

Denise Thompson

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