tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7066065458950671328.post433973385115465281..comments2023-03-24T12:33:32.023+00:00Comments on Carbon Neutral: Friend of EarthIanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189988517269601664noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7066065458950671328.post-65336344063204704172009-10-01T10:40:08.340+01:002009-10-01T10:40:08.340+01:00All communications received during a consultation ...All communications received during a consultation process have to be considered. Here is the immediate response from the Department of Communities and Local Government<br /><br />"Thank you for your response to the Strengthening Local Democracy consultation. Your feedback is valued and will be considered in developing Government's response to the consultation. (Please note, however, that responses received after the consultation close of 2 October 2009 may not formally be considerd.)<br /><br />Please take this message as a formal acknowledgement that your response has been received. Information provided in response to this consultation may be published or disclosed in accordance with the access to information regimes (these are set out in chapter 6 of the consultation paper).<br /><br />Please check back to www.communities.gov.uk for the latest on work to strengthen local democracy. And once again, thank you for taking the time to respond to this consultation."Ianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18189988517269601664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7066065458950671328.post-6712514427167667112009-10-01T10:38:24.299+01:002009-10-01T10:38:24.299+01:00Here is the email that I sent to the consultation ...Here is the email that I sent to the consultation process:<br /><br /><b>A National lead, with local implementation.</b><br /><br />The Strengthening Local Democracy consultation is an important opportunity to ensure that councils play a very strong role in tackling climate change and helping to achieve our national commitment to a 34% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2020. We are strongly in favour of upgrading the current voluntary system to compulsory local targets that ensure that all regions play their part in achieving our national targets. All local authorities should have an ambitious and compulsory minimum standard of action. Doing nothing on the issue of climate change should no longer be an option for councils, and we fully support the proposal that support for councils to act on climate change, including new funding and new powers, should be provided by government.<br /><br />Please ensure that all councils are provided with the information they need on how to cut emissions. The Energy Saving Trust currently does a very good job of offering advise of cutting emissions, but in addition a new regional technical advice body on Climate Change should help provide the evidence base for action on climate change. Councils should be able to fund renewable energy solutions through new financing arrangements and have a strong role in co-coordinating funding streams.<br /><br />Councils must also act to reduce carbon from transport. The Department for Transport must check the local transport plans of each council and refuse to accept any plans that would lead to an increase CO2 emissions.<br /><br />We also believe that councils should be encouraged to engage the local community in this process of tackling climate change. By moving together on these issues, boundaries will be broken and new schemes such as district heating networks, solar panels on homes, and individual efforts to meet national targets will lead to decreases in local people’s fuel bills, new jobs making modifications to properties and, importantly, a boost the local economy during the current recession.Ianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18189988517269601664noreply@blogger.com