The Rt Hon Chris Huhne
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
3, Whitehall Place
London
SW1A 2HH

6 December 2010

Dear Chris,

Local Carbon Budgets

I am writing to urge you to include measures to introduce mandatory Local Carbon Budgets in the forthcoming Energy Security Bill. I believe that involving local people in cutting emissions and giving Local Authorities the support they need, are crucial ways of meeting the Government's greenhouse gas reductions targets. As you know Local Carbon Budgets have wide ranging support from Council Leaders, MPs of all Parties, and NGOs. As the Climate Change Minister said; "When you find the Federation of Small Business in alliance with Friends of the Earth you know it's time to sit up and take notice."

I support Councils having a duty to set a Carbon Budget, with local input into how emissions reductions would be achieved. Local Carbon Budgets would:
• Be transparent and accountable,
• Involve the community in carbon-cutting decisions and projects,
• Have the potential to deliver new green jobs and skills,
• Provide increased certainty for investment and planning,
• Generate partnership working between councils, Government, residents, businesses, and local institutions,
• Make use of a wide range of resources and knowledge to cut carbon locally,
• And would provide rigorous, timely data to give a clear picture of the progress being made.

Moreover, local carbon budgeting is supported by councils themselves. In November 2007 the Local Government Association's Climate Change Commission gave its unanimous view that ‘a statutory duty should be imposed on those councils that, within the next two years, do not respond to climate change.' A vital part of making Local Carbon Budgets as successful as possible will be strong support from Government in the form of knowledge, skills, and funding.

It is estimated that around 80% of all UK emissions result from local activity - for example, how we heat and power homes and workplaces, and how we get around. It is, therefore, vital to involve local communities and local government in efforts to cut energy use and I urge you to deliver on your pre-election pledge ‘to support a local carbon budget for every local authority: that caps CO2 in the local area in line with the scientific demands for emissions cuts and local circumstances.' If you do not support the inclusion of mandatory Local Carbon Budgets in the Energy Security Bill, please make clear when you do intend to introduce them.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Caroline Lucas, MP, Brighton Pavilion

Read the Department of Energy and Climate Change's reply