Wide variations in local authorities' efforts to reduce their carbon emissions have been revealed.
The Department for Energy and Climate Change has published an area-by-area breakdown of CO2 emissions throughout the UK. It highlights the stark contrasts between different areas and the improvement that still remain to be made.
The figures reveal that total carbon emissions fell from 526m tonnes in 2005 to 517m tonnes in 2007. That is a reduction of 1.7%. Performance varied considerably from district to district, however.
Emissions fell in 335 of 434 local authority areas. Copeland near Glasgow was the best performer, reducing its emissions by 28% in two years with Ribble Valley, Exeter and Hartlepool also managing impressive cuts.
But others increased their emissions. The East Riding of Yorkshire and Bridgnorth in Shropshire saw 18% increases, while Clackmannanshire in Scotland increased by 17% and the London borough of Tower Hamlets by 16%.
Local Government Association chairman Margaret Eaton said the figures demonstrate that councils are "on the front line in the fight against climate change". She added that town halls have a vital role in helping people cut their carbon emissions. More specifically, she said that their roles include providing free home insulation, loaning energy display devices to residents and investing in greener transport.
What would improve things further, according to Eaton, is a single, national home insulation scheme; stamp duty relief for all new houses that meet the highest current energy saving standards; and more help to cut energy use in remote rural areas.
