The UK Experience by Malcolm Morley*
With the United Nations Climate Change Conference ending in only a ‘letter of intent’ rather than a binding agreement to limit global warming to a maximum of two degrees Celsius above preindustrial times, the challenge remains of how the issue of climate change is to be dealt with in practice.
The Copenhagen conference illustrated the difficulties of getting different stakeholders to a common understanding of the challenges and the ways forward.
There remains a difference in the interpretation of the science, an even bigger difference in the perceptions of who is responsible for the current state of affairs, and a colossal difference in positions about who should be responsible for doing what to tackle the problem.
Each country looks to its own interests and the implications of taking action on its economy and the lifestyles of its population.
With no consistent supranational action, it is vital that individual countries do something.
London councils are seeking to do just that across one of the world’s major cities.
Councils across London are collaborating in a joint project to reduce the carbon footprint of their public procurement.
The initiative means that 33 London Borough councils and five other public bodies – the Greater London Authority (GLA), Local Government Association, London Councils, Metropolitan Police and London Fire Brigade – will be able to measure and reduce the carbon footprint associated with purchased goods and services.
The project also seeks to include other public bodies, such as the National Health Service, Transport for London and the University of London Group.
It is being coordinated by Capital Ambition, London’s Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership.
The project seeks to recognise that the way councils and their partners deliver services and buy goods has a direct impact on the organisational carbon footprint.
A study has been commissioned to assess London’s performance, with a commitment to start making progress on carbon reduction very quickly.
The project will identify those suppliers that contribute most to London’s overall carbon footprint to provide a focus on areas of high potential. In this way, those suppliers that have a low carbon impact will not be overburdened.
Previous studies have found that the supply chain offers a significant opportunity to reduce the organisational carbon footprint.
Analysis regularly shows that an organisation’s supply chain is four times as carbon intensive as its own operations.
This project is impressive because so many organisations have got beyond the need to have an irrefutable interpretation of the science and have agreed to do something tangible that will result in a significant reduction in their carbon footprints. They are showing leadership.
Sometimes something just needs to be done because it’s the right thing to do – isn’t this what leadership is really about?
As the going gets tough because of the financial challenges being faced by councils in 2010, it has to be hoped that the same approach applies.
Often, concentrating on doing the right things not only delivers greater effectiveness through innovation, community engagement and better partnership working, but actually saves money as well.
*Malcolm Morley is Chief Executive of Harlow District Council and can be contacted via the Editor, by email at info@lgfocus.com.au
The views expressed in this article are not necessarily those of his employer.
