Angus bids to be top local authority in climate change battle

SURVEY: Council leader rejects criticism, arguing region is ahead of the game

Angus Council’s leader has said the local authority is at the forefront of efforts to tackle the climate change emergency.

David Fairweather was speaking following criticism of the council in the wake of figures revealing Angus is joint second in a table of the 32 local authorities in Scotland that do not believe climate change is happening.

Critics hit out following the Scottish Household Survey findings and said a lack of political leadership in Angus was partly to blame.

However, Mr Fairweather said the authority had been working hard to achieve its goal of becoming one of the top in Scotland in the fight against climate change.

He said the council established a carbon reduction member officer group (MOG) in 2011, which changed its name in 2016 to the Climate Change MOG.

“This is one of the few authorities in that time that has put climate change forward as an important agenda and puts this council at the forefront of the ‘climate change emergency’,” he said.

Mr Fairweather said examples of the work being done in Angus include the replacement of street lights with LED lamps, which has brought about a 70% reduction in CO2 emissions.

He added that sending rubbish to energy-from-waste facilities rather than landfill resulted in a 74% fall in CO2 emissions in 2018 in Angus compared with the previous year.

Neighbouring Aberdeenshire had the highest percentage of climate change deniers at 19%, while Perth and Kinross had 10% and Dundee and Fife were both on 7%.

SNP councillor Ian Mclaren, from the Climate Change MOG, said he and his colleagues were taking the issue “very seriously”.

He said: “The Climate Change Member Officers Group for Angus Council recognises the impact of climate change on life for now and for future generations.

“I do realise there are very challenging times to come – however I feel the group as a whole could not be more proactive in the work they do.”

He added: “Some of the work the group has achieved to date includes work on carbon reduction, including street lighting, in-house heating and improving recycling rates.

“The recycling centres upgrading is an excellent example of an area we have improved, which has enhanced the quality of life for Angus residents.”

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This is one of the few authorities in that time that has put climate change forward as an important agenda and puts this council at the forefront of the climate change emergency. COUNCILLOR DAVID FAIRWEATHER