02 May 2008
A majority of people think local authorities should introduce financial incentives to help cut greenhouse gases, according to a poll carried out by the Local Government Association.
In a phone poll of 1,000 people, more than half of respondents said councils should introduce penalties for residents who did not 'act on climate change' and 64% said incentives should be introduced for those who did.
Over 70% said climate change was occurring as a result of human activity, with 76% believing councils had a major role to play in combating global warming.
The chair of the LGA's environment board, Paul Bettison, said councils were on the 'front line' in the fight against climate change.
'There is an immense amount of public willingness that can be harnessed to tackle this vitally important issue. It is only councils that have both the knowledge of a local area and a strong connection with households.'
Plans to allow councils to offer incentives for environmentally friendly behaviour are contained in the Climate Change Bill. Five local authorities will pilot incentive schemes to reduce waste going to landfill. Methane from landfill sites accounts for 3% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions.
But MPs have described the pilot proposal as a 'comprehensive retreat' from the view that local authorities are best placed to decide what would work in their own areas.
A February report from the Commons communities and local government select committee – Refuse collection: waste reduction pilots – recommended that the government 'reconsider devolving power to introduce schemes to local authorities themselves'.
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