Councils for climate protection

In response to the threat of climate change, Shropshire County Council (SCC) is one of 24 pilot local authorities in the UK leading on an innovative approach to understanding the contribution that the county is making to global carbon dioxide pollution and developing a strategy to mitigate this pollution. This approach is called Councils for Climate Protection (CCP) and is being sponsored and led by DEFRA.

Since 1993 similar campaigns have been established in the USA, Canada, Australia and Japan and over 400 municipalities across the world are currently participating. The UK launch of the CCP pilot programme took place in September 2000.

There are five stages to the project:

• Carrying out a base-line emissions analysis and a forecast of emissions in a target year.
• Setting an emissions reduction target.
• Developing and adopting a Local Action Plan to reach that target.
• Implementing the action plan.
• Monitoring and reporting on emissions and the implications of policies and actions.

Shropshire County Council has committed itself to the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change. Through this, the council has acknowledged the mounting evidence that climate change is occurring and welcomed the opportunity to act and lead the response at a local level. It committed to preparing a plan by December 2002 to address the causes and effects of climate change at a local level.