Wednesday 24 July 2013

Comment: Manchester Council Carbon Reduction Report ‘untruth’

There has been some reaction to the Manchester Green Party response to reports that Manchester City Council had lied about the results of its Carbon Reduction Report, spinning an increase in carbon emissions into a 7% reduction. One local councillor described it as ‘petulant’ while conceding it as accurate.

The report, presented at the Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee on July 16th, under pressure from ‘Friends of the Earth’, other environmental groups and attending councillors forced the committee to alter the report to accurately reflect the facts.

What this means is that the Council’s target of reaching an interim 20% reduction in carbon emissions by 2013/14 is in disarray and assumption of trust in the council’s reporting of progress, gone.

It’s a depressing state of affairs.

You could say ‘It’s a local council sleight-of-hand, what does it matter?’

In 1992 the historic Rio Earth Summit was held where global issues of climate and environment were discussed in a meaningful way for the first time by a significant number of countries.

Following that rousing event Manchester, in 1994, organised and hosted the follow up event, the Global Forum. Though it had its problems, it was aspirational.

Next year will be that event’s 20 year anniversary.

And in that time the Council leadership has gone from Global Forum to major airport investor and ‘misrepresenting’ its Carbon Reduction Reports.

It has fallen a long way.


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