LibDem challenges council leader to pledge 10% CO2 cut

10.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 7th Sep 2009

Conservative council leader Vivien Pengelly is being challenged to commit the council to a new nationwide campaign to cut carbon emissions by 10 per cent during 2010.

The challenge is being made by the Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesman for the new Plymouth Moor View seat, Stuart Bonar. He signed up at the weekend to the 10:10 campaign, pledging to cut the emissions for which he is responsible by a tenth next year.

The LibDem call follows recent revelations that the council's 13 main buildings between them emit as much carbon dioxide in one year as a person flying across the Atlantic Ocean 10,000 times.

Explaining his challenge, Stuart said, "Climate change is a massive problem facing not only Britain, but the entire world.

"We all need to do our bit, and that includes councils. Plymouth City Council's buildings are nowhere near as efficient as they could be, and that's official.

"The Conservatives stressed the importance of tackling climate change in their manifesto at last year's city council elections. The time to honour those words is now. I am calling on Councillor Pengelly to commit Plymouth City Council to the 10:10 campaign, pledging to cut the council's emissions by 10 per cent next year."