A Magna Carta-style agreement on climate change will be signed on Friday (March 14) by Babergh District Council and other strategic organisations in west Suffolk.
The agreement, known as the ‘Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change’ includes a commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of Babergh and other organisations in the West Suffolk Local Strategic Partnership.
This would be achieved by working with central government to contribute, at a local level, to the delivery of the UK Climate Change Programme, the Kyoto Protocol and the target for carbon dioxide reduction by 2010.
Suffolk has been identified by the Met Office as being particularly at risk from the effects of climate change. Heatwaves, droughts and flooding have already affected the county in recent years - and are predicted to become more frequent within the lifetime of the current generation.
Jonas Grist, Babergh’s Technical Officer (waste), said: “We think a Magna Carta-style signing shows our commitment as a partnership to do our bit to reduce the impact of climate change in west Suffolk.
“We believe the signed document, which will be displayed at the headquarters of Babergh’s offices in Hadleigh, is a great way to get the public’s attention over this hugely important green issue.”
The signing of the climate change declaration, at the West Suffolk Climate Change Conference - organised by the West Suffolk LSP - in Bury St Edmunds on Friday, will be accompanied by the launch of household and business publication that raises awareness of why climate change is so important to everyone in Suffolk.
These, together with advice on what action we can all take to reduce the impact of climate change, are available at Babergh’s Council offices, Information Centres and at http://www.greensuffolk.org/. ENDS
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