The issue
Human-caused release of CO2 into the atmosphere
has been adding to the greenhouse gas blanket that
surrounds the earth. This is raising the temperature of
the earth’s surface and is expected to have a profoundly
negative impact on people and ecosystems, particularly
those that are already vulnerable. All the activity that
takes place in Southampton adds to this gas blanket.
Our emissions of CO2 derive mostly from our use of fossil
fuels and are directly related to the use of buildings,
products, transport and industrial activities. We are
committed to meet the governments target to reduce
carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 (compared to 1990
levels) with an interim target to reduce CO2 emissions by
34% by 2020. These are big targets. This means cutting
nearly 510,000 tonnes of CO2 by 2020.
This transition will transform our whole economy. It will
change the city’s industrial landscape, our supply chain,
and the way in which we all work and consume. As well
as being an environmental and economic imperative,
this shift is also an economic opportunity. Businesses
and consumers can benefit from significant savings
through energy and resource efficiency measures. And
supplying the demands of the low carbon economy offers
a significant potential contribution to economic growth
and job creation, not only as part of the short term
economic recovery, but also through sustainable growth
over the decades to come.