Will cuts kill the green agenda?

Despite news of funding cuts dominating the headlines it’s clear that only some councils still prioritise the green agenda – we ask how everyone can stay green without heading into the red This week, the Local Government Association and the Department for Energy and Climate Change signed a Memorandum of Understanding which sets out how local and central government can work together to tackle climate change. The document focuses on meeting targets and aims to help councils reduce emissions by participating in schemes like the Green Deal . But with cuts hitting local government hard and many ‘soft-options’ like libraries and swimming pools already bearing the brunt, how far up the agenda will green credentials come? Forum for the Future’s Sustainable Cities Index , which tracks sustainability progress in 20 of the UK’s largest cities, is perhaps proof enough that councils are still striving to achieve results in this area. Indeed, on achieving top spot in the list for the second year running chief executive of Newcastle city council Barry Rowland explained, ” sustainability is right at the top of our agenda, and we intend to keep it there “. However it was reported last week that London has failed to meet EU targets to curb emissions and given Mayor Boris Johnson more time to reduce harmful particles in the air – a sign that in London, councils are not doing enough. In this Q&A we’ll be asking how local government can stay on top of the green agenda despite budget cuts. Our panel will be online between 12pm – 3pm on Wednesday 23 March and comments are open for your questions and contributions now. Panel: Paul O’Brien is chief executive of the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) and previously worked with South Lanarkshire Council Anna Warrington is senior sustainability advisor at Forum for the Future Sam Coe is regional partnerships manager for Keep Britain Tidy . His main role is to develop relationships with local authorities, housing providers and any private sector organisation interested in improving their local environments Chris Shaw is assistant director of environmental regeneration charity Groundwork Gavin Fletcher heads up the Groundwork Leicester & Leicestershire (GWLL’s) conservation team and has a wide range of experience in bio diversity, nature conservation and the management of gardens and allotments Councillor Sarah Russell is councillor responsible for the environment at Leicester city council Councillor Joe Goldberg leads on finance and sustainability at Haringey council Martyn Williams is senior parliamentary campaigner at Friends of the Earth who are currently working on campaigns to ensure Government supports councils in tackling climate change This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. Join the local government network to receive more like this direct to your inbox. Local government network blog Sustainable housing Kate McCann guardian.co.uk

Posted by on March 23, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.