Tees shows the cleaner way
MORE than 200 council chiefs from across the UK will descend on Middlesbrough for the second national climate change conference next week.
The two-day event - Local Action on Climate Change - is hosted by Middlesbrough Council for authorities to share the best ways of turning the challenges of climate change into opportunities.
Meanwhile, Business Secretary Lord Mandelson was given an unorthodox welcome as he arrived at the launch of the Government’s low carbon economy summit today - when a climate change activist threw a cup of green “slime” over him.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown was expected to predict 400,000 new jobs for Britain at the event. The green jobs, he claims, will come over the next eight years at the country moves towards a low carbon economy.
Middlesbrough Council is one of just six UK Beacon Councils for Tackling Climate Change. Mayor Ray Mallon recently became part of a North-eastern alliance - the first region in Europe to sign the Covenant of Mayors pledging to surpass the EU’s carbon targets.
Middlesbrough Council’s low-carbon projects - including its work with Wilton-based Renew, the Centre For Process Innovation and green development at Middlehaven - will be on show to delegates during the conference, which begins on Tuesday.
Mike McNulty, Tees Valley project manager with the Environment Agency, is co-presenting a workshop on carbon management.
He said businesses and local Government needed to be flexible and alert to tackle climate change.
“It’s time to turn the issue of carbon management from a jargon-filled, vague-sounding concept into something practical. There are new opportunities, new markets, new services if you are quick off the mark.”
For a full report on how Middlesbrough is leading the climate change challenge, see Tuesday’s nebusiness.
