Great news - Camden Council have just announced a seminar on cutting CO2 emissions across Camden by 40% in 2020 - the target of our Get Serious about CO2 campaign!

The event, “Cutting Camden’s CO2 by 2020: working together for a greener Camden“, will be held on Monday 6 September, 7-8pm, Council Chamber, Camden Town Hall, Judd Street WC1.

Chris Dunham of Carbon Descent will present Camden’s recently completed feasibility work on how Camden can achieve 40% CO2 reduction. They will focus on:

• which low carbon strategies and technologies are likely to have the biggest impact
• the probable challenges
• the role people in Camden can play in Camden’s low carbon transition

After the presentation, there will be an opportunity to discuss the feasibility work with Carbon Descent and members of Camden’s sustainability team.

It sounds like a great event and shows how successful our campaign has been so far, with the council putting effort and resources into seeing how we can achieve substantial CO2 reductions across the borough.

All are welcome to attend - please contact harold.garner@camden.gov.uk if you plan to go along.

The new Executive Member for Sustainability at Camden Council, and Deputy Leader of the Camden Labour Group, Angela Mason, has asked Camden Council to organise a Camden Green Summit on Saturday 17th July from 10am to 3.30pm at Parliament Hill School, Highgate Road, NW5 IRL.

The twin aims of the event are:

• to develop an overall vision for the Council’s engagement with the community on green issues
• to think about how Camden as a borough can achieve a 40% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020 (a target we have been asking the council to adopt as part of the Get Serious About CO2 campaign)

If you plan to attend, then please register in advance online or over the phone (020) 7974 7362. Places are limited so early registration is advised.

Back in March we presented a deputation to Camden council asking for local parties to support the Get Serious About CO2 campaign in their manifestos, and to commit to a target of at least 40% CO2 emissions reductions in Camden by 2020.

Good news… the local Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties have adopted the target in their manifestos, and the Greens have gone better, in line with their national target. Here’s the relevant sections from each party’s manifesto:

Camden Conservative Manifesto 2010: “aiming to reduce the borough’s carbon emissions, alongside the Conservative government’s programme, by 40% by 2020.”

Camden Green Party Manifesto 2010: “Leading the way as the greenest borough in London: setting and achieving greenhouse gas reduction targets, in line with our national targets of a 90% cut in GHG emissions by 2030 and 65% cuts by 2020″

Camden Labour Manifesto 2010: “Camden Labour will: Sign up to the Friends of the Earth Get Serious About CO2 campaign to reduce emissions by 40 per cent by 2020″

Camden Liberal Democrats Manifesto 2010: “…we pledge to cut Camden’s carbon footprint by 40% by 2020.”

Have you received a local election leaflet with the Get Serious target on? Do let us know…

Susan, Jess, Prashant, Jim, Iris and Michele made a deputation to Camden Council at the full council meeting on March 1 about the Get Serious about CO2 campaign. Due to the closeness of the election the deputation requested that all the parties make a commitment to the ‘Get Serious’ targets in their manifestos. You can read our deputation statement or see a video of our deputation (starts 16 mins in) on the Camden Council website.

The leader of the council, Keith Moffitt, (who previously had a 20-year career with British Coal!) responded supportively to the deputation. We are now following up with the individual parties to keep the process going.