Feb 2011

We have become increasingly alarmed at the failure of Richmond Council to produce a Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan that will help our area to reduce its emissions in line with national targets.  The London Borough of Richmond has the second highest emissions per head of any London Borough, but, after a promising start, there has been very little progress on deciding what to do about this since mid-2009. 

To date RTFoE has been talking to local politicians and monitoring what is happening rather than campaigning.  The national situation has not been helpful as the coalition Government has abolished the Audit Commission and its system of National Indicators which set and monitored carbon emissions’ reduction targets for those local authorities (including Richmond) which had chosen to adopt them.  However Local Carbon Budgets or another replacement system is likely to be introduced this year.  By then Richmond will be well behind many other local authorities in developing its programme of action.  It also faces the prospect of making substantial payments under the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, a per tonne levy on the carbon dioxide emissions of all large organisations that is being introduced in April 2012

If you are concerned about this we suggest that you talk to or write to your ward councillor or to Cllr. Virginia Morris who is the Cabinet Member for the Environment.  Their contact details can be found here.