The Wolverhampton Declaration on Climate Change

We acknowledge that:

• Evidence shows that climate change is occurring.
• Climate change will continue to have far reaching effects on the UK’s people and places, economy, society and environment.

We welcome the:

• Social, economic and environmental benefits which come from combating climate change.
• Emissions targets agreed by central government and the programme for delivering change, as set out in the UK Climate Change Programme.
• Opportunity for local government to lead the response at a local level, encouraging and helping local residents, local businesses and other organisations - to reduce their energy costs, to reduce congestion, to adapt to the impacts of climate change, to improve the local environment and to deal with fuel poverty in our communities.
• Endorsement of this declaration by central government.

We commit our Council from this date, 20th December 2006, to:

• Work with central government to contribute, at a local level, to the delivery of the UK Climate Change Programme, the Kyoto Protocol and the target for carbon dioxide reduction by 2010.
• Participate in local and regional networks for support.
• Within the next two years develop plans with our partners and local communities to progressively address the causes and the impacts of climate change, according to our local priorities, securing maximum benefit for our communities.
• Publicly declare, within appropriate plans and strategies, the commitment to achieve a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from our own authority’s operations, especially energy sourcing and use, travel and transport, waste production and disposal and the purchasing of goods and services.
• Assess the risk associated with climate change and the implications for our services and our communities of climate change impacts and adapt accordingly.
• Encourage all sectors in our local community to take the opportunity to adapt to the impacts of climate change, to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions and to make public their commitment to action.
• Monitor the progress of our plans against the actions needed and publish the results. Wolverhampton City Council acknowledges the increasing impact that climate change will have on our community during the 21st century and commits to tackling the causes and effects of a changing climate on our city.

Wolverhampton City Council acknowledges the increasing impact that climate change will have on our community during the 21st century and commits to tackling the causes and effects of a changing climate on our city.

Leader of the Council, Labour Group Leader - Councillor Roger Lawrence
Conservative Group Leader - Councillor Paddy Bradley
Liberal Democrat Group Leader - Councillor Michael Heap
Chief Executive, Wolverhampton City Council - Richard Carr
Minister of State for Climate Change and Environment - Ian Pearson MP
Department for Communities and Local Government - Kay Andrews OBE

Download

To download a copy of the Wolverhampton Declaration on Climate Change, click on the PDF icon below:

Further information

Additional information about Wolverhampton's declaration on climate change is available in our press release.