Partnership challenged to do more to tackle Climate Change

A member of the Board of the South Somerset Together (SST) has urged other SST member organisations to "stop pussyfooting around" when it comes to thinking about what local organisations can do to tackle climate change. Joe Burlington, Chairman of South Somerset Climate Action and a member of the Somerset Strategic Partnership Environmental Leaders Group, delivered this challenge to a recent meeting of the Board.

Among key suggestions for more effective action, Joe suggests devising plans to reduce local energy consumption over an urgent timeframe. This should be part of encouraging local community groups to work out for themselves how to live prosperous low-carbon lives - everything from education and health to where our food and energy come from.

Specific recommendations include ending the use of external floodlighting, switching off night lighting in empty buildings, progressively cutting staff mileage allowances year-on-year, scrutinising planning applications for effective energy use and developing a much expanded network of footpaths and cycleways in the area.

Paull Robathan, Chairman of South Somerset Together, responding to the call to action said; "Joe has thrown down the gauntlet and it's up to all of the partners to take a long hard look at what we do to see how we can set ourselves ever more challenging goals. We cannot carry on the way we are – South Somerset Together will champion sustainable change in our area and as Chairman I will take personal responsibility for keeping this vital issue right at the centre of everything we do "

Tackling climate change is a key part of the Sustainable Community Strategy for South Somerset that is currently being developed by the SST. Other elements of the strategy relate to the long-term viability of the local economy and jobs for local people, the availability of affordable housing, improvements to transport and better health for individuals.

Joe's stark message comes as South Somerset Together collates a wide range of objectives and actions designed to improve the lives of local people. Underpinning this work is a commitment to ensuring that what we do limits the damage we are doing to the world we live in for future generations – the 'sustainable' element of the emerging community strategy.

Joe says: "All our instincts are to maintain 'business-as-usual'. Tradition, habit, economics and politics all encourage us to go on the way we are. We grudgingly accept minor changes but these are insufficient. Small steps are important – so yes, we must use energy efficient light bulbs – but thousands of people in Gloucestershire are still suffering after last year's floods. The climate has already changed and it will change more. The question is, can we alter our way of life enough to give our children better chances?

"Targets that mention 2050 make the problem seem distant. We need to be talking of targets for 2010 and 2015. The public need to see that politicians and business leaders are making significant changes. That is why cutting lighting is so important.

"Do we really like spending so much of our life in cars, in traffic jams, finding parking places and in paying for the costs of it all? Given that we must make changes – granted they will be difficult – might we not be able to arrange our lives better? Maybe we could be healthier, happier and have stronger communities if we slowed down and travelled rather less.

"When fuel and electricity were relatively cheap, waste of energy was not too costly. Now prices are rising so steeply, the sooner we can cut our travel and electricity bills, the more money we will save.

"We also need to think how well we will cope with breaks in supplies. With more solar panels, we should be able to keep some computers running when there are power cuts.

"South Somerset Together is committed to the concept of sustainability, but the measures we propose and our current rate of progress are not enough to ensure success. We need to do very much more and we need to act now in such a way that people notice."

Paull Robathan (Chairman) continues: "The Climate Change issue is real and we want to help South Somerset residents and businesses not only change the way they live and work to accommodate it but in the process change their way of life for the better, to get even more out of it. One thing is for certain and Joe has made that very clear, we cannot go on as we are. All our partners in public, private and voluntary sector will want to step up to the challenge and work with our residents and businesses to improve the quality of fife in South Somerset while also responding to the global challenges we face."

South Somerset Together, your Local Strategic Partnership, is closely involved in developing a Community Strategy aimed at drawing more investment and activities into the District, and creating a better environment for current and future generations. 

An online questionnaire has been launched on the South Somerset Together website, click here .

For further details contact Saveria Moss on 01963 435004 or email lsp@southsomerset.gov.uk