We’ve been waiting all day for a response from David Pugh’s Isle of Wight Council (yes, we’re back in the fold) regarding their decision at the last Full Council meeting to reject the motion to sign up to the 10:10 agreement, a motion put forward by Cllr Geoff Lumley.
This action is particularly surprising given the way back in December 2007, the IW Council started labelling the Island, ‘Eco Island’ – which it would be reasonable to assume came with some kind of commitment to trying to achieve an Eco Island.
Quoting from the IWC Annual Report 2007-08 (PDF) that has David Pugh’s smiling in the foreword:
Eco island sets out ways we can all work together to build thriving, strong, healthy, safe, sustainable communities with the lowest carbon footprint in England by 2020.
We won’t do it, but you can
Although the IWC have decided that they’re not going to sign up to the agreement – which was to reduce the Council’s carbon emissions by 10% by the end of 2010 – they do “encourage Island residents, businesses and organisations to support the aspirations of the 10:10 campaign”. Feel patronised at all?
We were reminded of the decision this morning, when hearing it reported by IW Radio and we followed it up with the council press office with a request for a statement. We’ve received nothing through as yet, but as soon as we do, we’ll add it here.
UPDATE (16:10): This in from Geoff Lumley: “The Council leadership’s refusal to sign up to 10:10 whilst asking Islanders to support the campaign is very much a case of do as we say, not as we do. The Council should be setting an example on climate change, not dragging its feet with annual 4% reduction targets. Apart from anything else commiting to 10:10 would help in the drive for even more budgetary efficiencies next year.”
David Pugh: It’s “short-sighted”
We understand from IW Radio that leader of the Council, David Pugh, stated that he thought the 10:10 agreement was short-sighted and they would much rather prefer to stick to the 4% reduction each year already committed to by the IWC – one they haven’t met.
Previous commitments from IW Council
It’s of note that the IWC 07-08 annual report said that they would “continue to reduce carbon emissions at a rate of at least 4% per year and to review this target regularly.” (our bold)
In their Community Strategy 2006-2008 (carried forward into Eco Island), they also committed to :
We will create an island in which the needs of the people and the economy are met without detriment to the global or local environment
We will achieve this by:
* Ensuring a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and the use of natural resources
UPDATE 2 (17.08)
Seven hours after first requesting a statement, we have received this response from the IWC.
IW Council leader Cllr David Pugh said: “The motion approved by Full Council recently makes our position clear.
“The council’s efforts to reduce its carbon emissions are long-term. We are aiming to reduce our emissions by at least four per cent year-on-year over a 15-year period.
“While any initiative to reduce carbon emissions is laudable, the council favours making its contribution in a planned, longer term fashion than that promoted through the 10:10 initiative which seeks to reduce emissions for one year only.
“People have rightly pointed out that the council has found it a challenge to fulfil its stated aim of reducing its carbon footprint. Our efforts are better spent seeking to achieve this structured, year-on-year approach to carbon reduction than by taking on, in addition, a further arbitrary target.”
You might want to have a look over the Council’s Eco Island site to see if there’s any other commitments there that they committed to, but haven’t kept.
