Guernsey Press

'States has to take the lead'

LEADERSHIP from the very top will be needed if Guernsey is to tackle climate change successfully.

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LEADERSHIP from the very top will be needed if Guernsey is to tackle climate change successfully. About 300 people crammed into St Martin's Community Centre last night for the first public forum on the subject and its message for the deputies in attendance was that the States must lead the way and show other communities it is taking the initiative.

Speaking afterwards, forum organiser Simon Bradshaw, a researcher on sustainable development at the University of Melbourne and a former Elizabeth College student, said the interest in the meeting meant the States had to make the environment a bigger priority in its business plan.

'We need action at all levels. We can't afford to get bogged down in the cumbersome bureaucracy and selective decision-making that tends to hamper States policy,' said Mr Bradshaw.

'Tonight has shown that there is a strong will to face up to the challenge. Climate change itself shows that there is something flawed in an economic-growth mentality and that we require a fundamental recalculation of our priorities. It would be an utter disgrace, with the understanding of the dangers of emissions, if the States decided next week to go for an incinerator.'

One of approximately 10 deputies at the meeting, Peter Roffey admitted to the audience that the States had shown a lack of leadership regarding climate change.

He said deputies were too often afraid of making unpopular decisions because they feared losing votes.

He highlighted paid parking as an example of many States members being afraid to make a sound environmental decision because it could be unpopular.

Environment minister Bernard Flouquet and Deputy Scott Ogier confirmed, when questioned on what they were going to do about climate change, that an Energy Policy Sub Group had already been set up.

Deputy Ogier said a draft report with recommendations on climate change would be going to the States before the end of the year. Deputy Flouquet said Environment would soon be considering changes in Guernsey's building regulations to help combat global warming, but that it would first see how the UK's tighter and more-stringent guidelines fared.

Retired Cambridge professor Nicholas Day, a speaker at the forum, said the States had to set the island a target of reducing carbon emissions by 30% by 2020. He said that would show the leadership islanders wanted. It needed to get the legislation drawn up quickly and ensure intermediate targets of reducing emissions by 10% were met every four years.

'They need to make targets explicit and have an independent panel monitoring progress. If targets are not met, penalties have to be paid. There has to be consequences if targets are not met.'

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