26/11/2009
Help make a difference with the Carbon Challenge
Colchester2020 is urging the people of the borough to keep up the good work, after figures showed levels of carbon emissions in Colchester are starting to fall.
According to Department of Energy and Climate Change figures, Colchester reduced its per capita carbon emissions by 6.40% between 2005 and 2007.
This is a great start towards achieving Colchester2020's Carbon Challenge goal to reduce Colchester’s carbon emissions by 30% by the year 2020.
Adrian Pritchard, who leads on Carbon Reduction for Colchester2020, said: ''It's great to see that we are moving in the right direction, but there is still a long way to go to achieve the Carbon Challenge. So, come on people of Colchester, make it your New Year’s resolution to do your bit to reduce the borough’s carbon emissions.''
No matter how big or small, we all have a part to play in helping to achieve the Carbon Challenge.
Over the past two years 2,885 carbon saving pledges have been made in Colchester through the Cred scheme, saving an estimated total of 1,090 tonnes of carbon. Visit www.cred-uk.org/essex to make your own personal pledge and receive specialist advice to help you fulfil it.
Adrian continued: ''We should be thinking about how we can reduce our carbon footprint in everything we do. That could mean walking or cycling some journeys rather than always taking the car, switching to energy-saving light bulbs or turning the heating down by as little as one degree.
‘’The real bonus is that many of these actions can save you money, which is certainly welcome in the current economic climate.''
These simple actions can help to make a difference:
- Turn your heating down by one degree – you'll hardly notice the difference in temperature
- Switch to energy saving light bulbs
- If you feel chilly, put on an extra jumper instead of turning up the heating
- Boil only the amount of water you need instead of filling the kettle to the brim
For more ideas and advice visit www.colchester.gov.uk/ecoguide
As carbon reduction is such a far reaching and fundamental issue for us all, Colchester2020 has incorporated it in all of its priorities rather than looking at this important issue in isolation.
Adrian added: ''As a partnership Colchester2020 works with a wide range of businesses, groups and organisations and we will use our influence to make sure the subject of carbon reduction is firmly on their agenda.''
