Conference Challenges Borough CO2 Crisis

12.40.36pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 31st May 2006

At York House on Thursday a conference on climate change and global warming convened by local environmental campaigning groups and addressed by Vincent Cable, MP, among others, will face the shocking statistics that the borough of Richmond is the most polluting borough in London, in CO2 terms. British Gas statistics suggest that the borough is producing 6723 kg CO2 per annum, twice as much as London, 25% more than Hounslow and Ealing and 12% more than Kingston.

Vincent Cable said: "we pride ourselves on being a 'green' borough but the figures suggest otherwise. There is no point our pontificating about how the Americans are causing a global environmental crisis with their gas guzzling cars or China and India with their coal burning power stations when our own lifestyles are so profligate in environmental terms. A combination of badly insulated large houses and multi-car households seem to be the main sources of the problem"

"If we are to take our own share of responsibility for what is potentially a massive global problem we shall have to accept, for example, stronger incentives to economise on energy through environmental taxation, tougher building regulations and planning procedures which are more flexible in relation to solar panels and roof top wind turbines."