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Have your say on climate change

People in Portsmouth are getting a say on how to reduce the city's carbon footprint.

If everyone in the world consumed resources at the rate of the average Portsmouth person, we would need three planets to survive.

Portsmouth City Council is co-ordinating a climate change strategy with the aim of ensuring the city's carbon footprint is as low as possible. It's asking residents, businesses and local organisations for suggestions on what this should say.

Cllr Jason Fazackarley, the council's cabinet member for environment and community safety, said: "Climate change is a global issue but we can take action locally. A climate change strategy for the whole city to sign up to would be a great step forward. But we need people's views to help produce it.

"The success of the strategy and any plan for making Portsmouth a low-carbon city will depend on us all working together. Public sector organisations, businesses and residents all need to take responsibility for tackling climate change."

To have their say on the strategy, people can go to the council's website or use a form in the council's free residents' magazine, Flagship, which is being delivered to every door starting this week (9 June).

Jasmine Fletcher, the council's principal climate change and sustainability co-ordinator, is pulling the strategy together.

She said: "As a coastal city Portsmouth has many areas vulnerable to the effects of climate change. In a survey, more than 60% of residents said this was something they were concerned about.

"The city's total carbon emissions came in at a whopping 6.8 tonnes per head in 2005 -- the same per head as London and over a third more than Gosport. So we need to start thinking about what we're going to do about it.

"Climate change doesn't just mean rising temperatures -- unpredictable weather is on the cards too. Rainstorms are expected to become more frequent and intense, increasing the risk of flooding.

"As a council we can't address climate change alone. We're committed to supporting Portsmouth becoming a low carbon city, but this means everyone from residents to businesses playing their part.

"The council would like people to suggest ideas about how we can tackle climate change. We have already come up with four priorities for the strategy, and we'd like opinions on whether we have got these right."

The priorities are:

1. Reduce Portsmouth's carbon footprint

Our carbon footprint, calculated in 2005, stands at a whopping 1,277,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year.

2. Adapt to climate change

We need to prepare for the predicted changes to our climate and minimise the cost this could have on the city.

3. Produce an energy strategy for the city

Securing our energy resources is vital if fuel stocks are reducing. First we need to be energy-efficient and then look at alternative energy sources, and increase the amount of renewable energy used in the city.

4. Involve the community

We will work with public and private organisations, voluntary groups and residents to make sure the strategy works.

How to get involved:

• fill in a form online. This is the best way, because to be as sustainable as possible we're using as little paper as we can. If you don't have internet access you can use the free computers at the Civic Offices or in your local library. We can also send you a printed copy of the website information, which you can recycle.
• fill in the form in Flagship and send it to us
• get involved with your local neighbourhood forum. Drayton and Farlington forum discuss the issue on Wednesday (11 June), and West Southsea forum look at it on 23 June. For more information on neighbourhood forums go to www.portsmouth.gov.uk/yourcouncil/1578.html or call (023) 9283 4059

The deadline for comments is 31 July.

For more information:

• go to www.portsmouth.gov.uk/sustainability  
• email sustainability@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
• phone (023) 9268 8156

Date : 09 June 2008