Published by Councillor Bruce Boughton, 12 Hampton Close, Tamworth, Staffordshire B79 8TX

Climate change is the biggest threat to life on Earth in modern history.

The world’s leading scientists agree that the effects of climate change could soon become unavoidable if we don’t take immediate action. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions is the leading cause of climate change and individual consumers (you and me) are responsible for the majority of the 70 Million tons of CO2 released into the atmosphere everyday.

Everyone can do their bit to mitigate climate change. In reducing the energy used in your home you will not only be lowering your fuel bills but you will also discover a higher level of thermal comfort for you and your family. By improving your home's insulation, upgrading your heating and controls, installing solar technologies and using more effective lighting and appliances you will be doing your bit to reduce the threat of climate change as well as finding many benefits for yourself and your home.

How Should Tamworth Respond To Climate Change?  

Although responding to climate change is not a legal duty for local authorities, it has risen up the national political agenda substantially over the last year and is now one of the most important issues for us all. Whilst Tamworth Borough Council signed the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change four years ago, it has not been a corporate priority. The actions and results delivered so far are included below. The time has come for Tamworth Borough Council to make responding to climate change a significantly higher priority and to develop a clear strategy and action plan, and this work has now started. Here is my view of this very important subject:
 

The response to climate change in Tamworth requires a combination of two approaches:
 

· MITIGATION - Acting to minimise factors which contribute to climate change (notably carbon emissions) so that climate change can be limited in the future.

· ADAPTION - Acting to adapt to the climate change which is already with us or will happen in the future (e.g. flood defences)

Block 5 of the Local Area Agreement (LAA) (Sustainable Development) commits Tamworth Borough Council to measurable outputs in the following related areas:

· SD1 – Access to environment

· SD2 – Transport strategy

· SD3 – Reduce waste to landfill and increase recycling

· SD4 – Reduce carbon emissions

· reducing TBC’s own emissions

· reducing town’s emissions.

Staffordshire County Council has produced a detailed Climate Change Strategy. Tamworth Borough Council’s strategy therefore must deliver LAA commitments and be consistent and supporting of the county-wide strategy.
Climate Change Financial Philosophy

Responding to climate change provides the enticing prospect of increasing efficiency, in particular reducing energy consumption with the consequent cost savings. Whilst in the short term additional expenditure may be required on an Invest To Save basis, the medium term approach must be cost neutral and in the long term ongoing cost savings are expected, enabling released resources to be applied to frontline services and corporate priorities.

Potential risks associated with climate change:

1. Everyone relying on everyone else acting so no change is delivered and climate change continues unabated with the serious impacts anticipated.

2. Politcal/electoral impact of failing to act on or respond to a key public issue.

3. Investing in energy saving equipment or processes without generating long term energy efficiency savings.

4. Failure to implement climate change adaption where necessary so services are impacted or economic development restrained.

5. Failure to deliver LAA commitments damaging to reputation and partnerships

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