Low carbon plans urged for councils

COUNCILS should have “low-carbon plans” to cut emissions through measures such as home energy saving schemes and food waste collections, the Government’s climate advisers have said. And additional funding is needed to help local authorities play a key part in the Government’s flagship “green deal” programme to boost energy efficiency in households and deliver carbon cuts in transport, waste and energy. The Committee on Climate Change said local authorities had a crucial role to play in meeting national legally binding goals to tackle climate change. But in the current financial situation there was a risk that town halls would not take steps to make significant cuts in greenhouse gases, putting legal targets to reduce emissions in 2020s under threat.