Haringey Council told: "Reduce CO2 by 80% by 2050"

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 15th Jul 2008

Local Liberal Democrats threw down the gauntlet to Labour-run Haringey Council last night to set a target of an 80% reduction in Haringey's C02 emissions by 2050. Labour councillors baulked at the Liberal Democrat challenge to beef-up their toothless Greenest Borough Strategy, which was criticised for failing to provide any firm targets or benchmarks for Haringey Council to stick to.

The strategy follows previous documents, including Agenda 21 in 2000 and the Nottingham Declaration in 2006, making this the third strategy paper on sustainability in eight years. Liberal Democrats highlighted at the Full Council meeting that commitments in previous policy documents have failed to be implemented.

Cllr Ed Butcher, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson, commented:

"The greenest thing that the last two strategies ever accomplished was when they were recycled by Haringey Labour after the photo opportunity.

"The Haringey Greenest Borough strategy is full of warm sentiment, but thin on real commitment. A clear target is now needed at the heart of this strategy so we can actually judge whether we are the greenest borough.

"A reduction by 80% by 2050 is what is needed to avert climate catastrophe so we give a cast-iron commitment to doing our part to reduce our proportion of this.

"It is a toothless and meaningless tick box exercise that shows Haringey Labour's real green credentials - no real commitment and no real action."

Lynne Featherstone MP added:

"From my postbag and regular meetings with residents I know how worried people are. The last thing the planet needs is another meaningless piece of paper that gives no real commitment to action. I very much hope that Haringey Council wakes up to the threats climate change poses and sets clear targets."