Staffordshire County Council welcomes climate change report

An international report on climate change published on Monday 9 August has been welcomed by Staffordshire County Council’s lead for Environment. The 42-page report, by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), shows the impact that human actions are having on the earth’s climate and the damage it causes. The county council, who are championing the climate change agenda in a new campaign are now calling on residents to join their mission to make Staffordshire a more environmentally friendly county. Talking about the report and what we can all do to tackle climate change, Simon Tagg, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Infrastructure and Climate Change said: “The findings in the report are concerning, however, the report clearly shows that we still have the potential to determine the future course of our climate. If we act now, and work together, we have the opportunity to tackle the impacts of climate change and protect the environment. “We are encouraging residents to ‘make a pledge’ to live a more sustainable life. We can all do our bit to reduce our impact on the environment by thinking differently about how we live our everyday lives. How we travel, heat our homes, how we work, what we buy and how we dispose of our waste. “If everyone makes some small changes, we will create greener communities and make Staffordshire a healthier place to live and work.” The county council has been championing the climate change agenda for years and has made a commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Replacing all Staffordshire street lights with LED lightbulbs, powering all corporate buildings using green renewable energy and with the help of district and borough councils, recycle over 150,000 tonnes of waste a year are amongst the initiatives. Information on how people can pledge to do their bit for climate change in Staffordshire, can be found on: www.staffordshire.gov.uk/makestaffssustainable.