Going green…what’s in it for me?

You might not see any melting ice caps and drowning polar bears in Plymouth…but that doesn’t mean the city remains untouched by climate change.

Our city is already changing and it’s the little, local things that make a big difference!

And if you think climate change has got nothing to do with you, think again! Everyone is currently feeling the harsh effects of rising fuel and food bills and both these issues are inextricably linked to climate change.

How? The burning of fossil fuels, such as oil, creates huge amounts of carbon dioxide – one of the main climate changing greenhouse gases.

Our dependence on fossil fuels at a time of soaring global demand and dwindling resources has left us all at the mercy of the suppliers, plunging an increasing number of people into fuel poverty as energy costs rise.

Encouraging energy efficiency saves money and improves local lives…and it’s something we can all do.

So by reducing our dependence on oil we’ll be doing our bit to save the planet, while creating a cleaner, healthier environment for ourselves right here in Plymouth.

Spiralling food prices are a result of global food shortages caused by various factors including world population growth, the economic boom in the Far East and climate change.

We can all do our bit to tackle this problem by buying local, organic produce and supporting 'green' farming, our local farmers’ markets and Fairtrade food.

What about the bigger picture? The majority of climate scientists now believe that climate change is happening and that the actions of mankind are driving this change.

In order to lessen the effects of climate change we all need to change the way we use energy and manage the environment. Action needs to be taken at all levels – Governments, local authorities, businesses and individuals all need to play their part in creating a cleaner, greener and more sustainable planet for the benefit of all of us.

For the first time the UK will be setting legal targets for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Like many other local authorities Plymouth City Council will be doing the same and making a clear commitment to tackling climate change across the city.

The Council aims to reduce its carbon footprint by 20% by 2013 and by 60% by 2020. For details of how we plan to do this, see the document below.

Take up our top 10 green tips challenge.

Documents

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Local Authority carbon management programme - a draft carbon management strategy and implementation plan. File format Adobe Acrobat (pdf) - 448KB