Bid to withdraw council from carbon-cutting agreement (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Bid to withdraw Wiltshire council from carbon-cutting agreement

12:50pm Thursday 10th September 2009 in News By Andy Woolfoot

A GROUP of Wiltshire Council members have tabled a bid to withdraw the authority from a nationwide energy conservation scheme arguing that carbon emmissions do not cause global warming.

Nine councillors back the motion proposed by Cllr Rod Eaton (Con) and Cllr Christopher Newbury to withdraw from the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change, which Wiltshire Council signed up to in May.

The declaration represents a high-level, broad statement of commitment to address the issues of climate change through reducing CO2 levels.

Over 300 councils, more than 90 percent of all councils in England, have signed up to the agreement so far and Wiltshire Council would be the first authority to withdraw from it if the motion is passed at a council meeting on Tuesday.

The motion states: "The theme is an open-ended commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. It peddles a dubious belief that many do not share.

"Far from providing economic or social benefits, this brand of idealism brings many negative consequences for our people."

Cllr Eaton told the Standard: "We should work on energy efficiency to help reduce fuel poverty. Energy efficiency saves money whereas going over to renewable energy costs money.

"It doesn’t pay itself back in 40 years and 40 years down the line it will probably need replacing.

"We have to do what the Government tells us but we don’t have to sign an agreement saying that we approve of doing it."

Peter Colmer, Wiltshire councillor for Cricklade, disgar.

He said: "There is a requirement to significantly reduce CO2 emissions to combat the impact on climate change.

"I cannot support the argument that withdrawing from this declaration will have a detrimental impact on achieving the goals and furthermore it goes against the view of the residents of Wiltshire."