Winchester Lib Dems push for City Council to sign up to 10:10 campaign - and cut carbon by 10% in 2010

12.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 6th Oct 2009

Winchester Lib Dem campaigners have welcomed the news that Winchester Action on Climate Change (WinACC - http://www.winacc.org.uk) is calling on both Winchester City Council and Hampshire County Council to sign up to the 10:10 campaign - and cut their carbon by 10% in 2010.

Winchester Liberal Democrat Councillors will also be proposing a motion at the next full Council on November 4th that Winchester City Council sign up to the 10:10 campaign (http://www.1010uk.org/).

Martin Tod, Prospective Liberal Democrat MP for Winchester, was present at the WinACC open meeting on Saturday where the policy was unanimously supported:

"Climate change is already causing problems here in the UK: we need to act now. It's particularly important in an area like Winchester where we have, on average, a relatively high carbon footprint. The campaign to get as many people, companies, charities and public bodies to cut their carbon by 10% in 2010 is a brilliant idea . I signed up to 10:10 online as soon as I could.

"We need our local councils to sign up too. Neighbouring councils like Lib Dem-led Eastleigh Borough Council and West Sussex County Council have done it, so Winchester City Council and Hampshire County Council should be able to do it as well."

Kelsie Learney is leader of the Lib Dem group on Winchester City Council and will be summing up on the motion that the council commit to the 10:10 campaign at the next Full Council

"The Conservatives have been paying lip-service to tackling climate change since they took control. Now it's time for them to get in gear and actually deliver significant cuts in the council's carbon footprint."