New partnership needed on Climate Change says Clegg

3.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 18th Jan 2008

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg has called for local and national government and business to take a lead on protecting the environment for future generations, and to motivate individuals and families to take action. He was speaking on the day that the European Union is expected to tell the UK that 15% of its energy needs must be met from renewable sources by 2020. On a visit to Islington Ecology Centre, Mr Clegg praised the Liberal Democrat-run Council's Climate Change Partnership scheme, which has set a target of reducing Islington's CO2 emissions by 55,000 tonnes by 2010. Speaking earlier this week, Cllr Lucy Watt, Islington's Executive Member for Environment, said: "The council has signed a pledge to reduce our own carbon emissions, and we've encouraged other organisations across Islington to do the same. Now we're giving individual residents the chance to join in and pledge to reduce their own carbon emissions". The Council provides a green "toolkit" with a free energy-saving light bulb, practical advice on saving energy in the home, and the chance to apply for green energy grants.

Nick Clegg, Liberal Democrat Leader said "The Climate Change Partnership and the Islington Ecology Centre show what can be done at local level across the country to substantially increase the proportion of our energy needs obtained from renewable sources. The Liberal Democrats are the only party to have set out a vision for a carbon neutral Britain by 2050, but we must go further to make that vision a reality, and that means action at every level."