Wirral leads the way on carbon

By Liam Murphy on Feb 10, 10 12:30 PM

AS PREPARATIONS for Wirral's next budget continue and we await a decision on council tax for 2010/11, the borough is also leading the way on another budget.

In December last year, the Liberal Democrats in Wirral secured the unanimous agreement of Full Council to put carbon budgeting on a level footing with financial budgeting.

Wirral Council will now be the first local authority in the North West to set an annual carbon budget for each Council department alongside its financial budget, due to be considered by Cabinet on February 22 and Full Council on March 1.

Each council department will prepare carbon budgets, detailing carbon emissions and carbon reduction targets, for presentation at Budget Cabinet alongside the council's financial budget.

A Carbon Budget is similar to a financial budget in which each council department is given an allowance of carbon dioxide in which to operate and deliver their services. Each department's carbon budget is expected to decrease annually by its target figure with the aim that as time progresses the Council will be able to continue to deliver services to the borough whilst decreasing its carbon emissions

Through setting a carbon budget, a clearer picture can be built of the environmental impact of Council spending and help to meet local, national and global carbon reduction targets.

Local authorities also have a clear financial incentive to reduce carbon emissions through the Government's Carbon Reduction Commitment. From April 1, the Government is introducing a national carbon trading scheme for large users of energy, including councils.

Participants will have to purchase allowances for their energy-related emissions, and will be reimbursed according to their relative position in a league table, based on the extent to which emissions have been reduced. One tonne of carbon dioxide is equivalent to a Â£12 stake in the Carbon Reduction Commitment.

Deputy Leader of Wirral Council and Liberal Democrat Cabinet member for Corporate Resources, Cllr Simon Holbrook said, "The UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen was a disappointment to many people, but even so there is no doubting the need for all of us to make progress on reducing carbon emissions.

"Smart Councils will be those taking action now; the opportunities to benefit from the green economy of tomorrow will come to those who are ahead of the pack on Climate Change rather than playing catch up."

Wirral Liberal Democrat Cabinet Member for the Environment, Cllr Gill Gardiner said, "This council has an excellent track record of recycling, waste reduction and energy efficiency. We want to take this to the next stage and make sure the council knows and understands the environmental impact of all its activities."

"We need to stay ahead of the game. There is no doubt in my mind that carbon budgeting will greatly assist us in doing just that and help us to save money not just by reducing our energy bills but also through the Carbon Reduction Commitment trading scheme."

"Of course, there are some who remain unconvinced by the climate change argument for reducing carbon emissions. I hope that they will be persuaded by the obvious economic argument for carbon budgeting and the clear financial savings to be made through the procurement of energy efficient and low carbon contracts, goods and services."