More than 100 delegates from a range of companies and organisations attended the launch of Reading Means Business on Climate Change at The University of Reading
Businesses are being encouraged to cut their carbon footprint by seven per cent in a year, as part of the borough’s new climate change strategy.
More than 100 delegates from a range of companies and organisations attended the launch of Reading Means Business on Climate Change at The University of Reading.
Reading Borough Council is leading the partnership, which has set targets for reducing carbon emissions across the borough by 2020.
Councillor Tony Page spoke at the launch at Henley Business School on the Whiteknights Campus last Tuesday.
He said: “Over the last six years, Reading Borough Council has cut the amount of carbon emissions produced from council-owned buildings by 15.8 per cent.
“We have also taken a range of positive initiatives to encourage people to use more sustainable forms of travel.”
He continued: “However, the council can only do so much. We need the help of the town’s business community to make a substantial difference to reducing carbon emissions across Reading.
“The new Reading climate change strategy recognises this and many of the ideas included in the strategy are based on engaging businesses and showing how they can achieve real financial savings by making changes to the way they work.”
Other speakers at the launch included vice-chancellor of the university Sir David Bell, chairwoman of the Reading Climate Change Partnership Sally Coble and director of the Walker Institute for Climate Systems Research at the university Professor Nigel Arnell.
Organisations represented included Kyocera, Clarkslegal, Peter Brett Associates. BG Group, Anesco, Greenpeace and Reading Friends of the Earth.
Many guests arrived at the venue on a gas-powered bus provided by Reading Buses and they had the opportunity to test drive electric vehicles after the launch.
The new climate change strategy was presented to members of the council’s policy committee at a meeting on Monday evening.
Councillors heard emissions from the borough as a whole had reduced by 24 per cent between 2005 and 2011, making Reading the 15th best performing local authority area in England.
The strategy sets out a target of reducing emissions across the borough by 34 per cent by 2020, compared with 2005, with members of the partnership being set individual targets of seven per cent reductions in a year.
Cllr Rob White, leader of the Green Party group, said: “I do think it’s making the best of a bad situation without much support from the Government.”
Source / Fuente: getreading.co.uk
Author / Autor: getreading.co.uk
Date / Fecha: 02/10/13
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