Techreport,
Council action to curb climate change: key issues for local authorities
Local Government Association, (2007)
Abstract
This study by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) for the Local Government Association (LGA) and Local Government Climate Change Commission examines: The case for local authority action to tackle climate change and the vital role it plays in national efforts to curb carbon emissions; The range of opportunities within the existing roles and responsibilities of local authorities to influence carbon emissions in their localities; The local factors which are associated with different levels of carbon emissions in different local authorities; The relative effort and impact involved in different steps by local authorities to improve their performance on influencing local carbon emissions; The extent to which differences between authorities in terms of carbon emissions, related local factors, and current performance justify different priorities for action; The identification of priority actions as ‘Easy Wins’, ‘Big Strides’ and ‘Lasting Impacts’; The approach to benchmarking and guidance which best meets local authority needs and fits observed processes for genuine performance improvement; Recommendations for action by government, LGA and other agencies to ensure that local authorities have the support, understanding, resources and sense of compulsion to fulfil their key role in tackling the threat of climate change.
