Climate Change Strategy

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Climate Change

Climate Change Strategy

Image of flooding On the 14th July 2004 we signed up to the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change.

As a result, and following a public consultation during 2005, Devon County Council's climate change strategy entitled "A Warm Response - Our Climate Change Strategy" was approved by the Executive Member for the Environment in November 2005.

The declaration requires councils to develop an action plan to tackle climate change hand-in-hand with local communities. By signing the agreement, we have committed ourselves to working with central government to contribute, at a local level, to deliver the UK Climate Change Programme.

We have also made a commitment to achieve a significant reduction of greenhouse emissions from our own operations which includes the use of electricity on our estate and for street lighting, the consumption of natural gas for heating, and business miles. During 2006/7 we are developing an action plan to reduce our emissions through participation in Phase 4 of the Carbon Trust’s Local Authority Carbon Management Programme.

Climate change is happening here in Devon.

Since the beginning of the 20^th century the average annual temperature has risen by 0.7°C. Nearly half of this has occurred over the last decade or so. The rising temperature has produced milder, wetter winters and an unusual sequence of hot, dry summers starting with the heatwave of 1976 and culminating in the scorching summer of 2003. Moreover, sea level continues to rise.

These trends are expected to continue for the foreseeable future.

Devon County Council declared its commitment to address the challenges of climate change at a local level by signing the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change in July 2004.

As a result, following a public consultation, Devon County Council's climate change strategy entitled "A Warm Response - Our Climate Change Strategy" has been approved by the Executive Member for the Environment in accordance with the Executive decision taken at the meeting on 1st March 2005. Specifically, the Council has committed itself to making a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from its own operations and to encourage all sectors in the local community to take the opportunity to reduce their emissions too.