Winchester's Prospective MP says headline-seeking initiatives not helpful as people here express shock at WWF report.
Prospective Winchester MP (and genuinely local resident) Steve Brine has defended Winchester after a new study named our home as the ‘least green city’ in the UK.
A report produced by the WWF ranked 60 towns' and cities' environmental footprint, based on average consumption of food, goods, housing, transport and services.
It says on average, British cities are soaking up resources at 3.51 times the rate which the world can sustain, but named Winchester as the worst offender.
Steve Brine, who himself launched his own 'Green Winchester' campaign earlier this year, says; “I have great respect for the WWF but I don’t think headline seeking stories such as this get us anywhere. Those of us who actually live here in Winchester are acutely aware of our environmental impact and we, as a community, have come a long way in addressing that.
"Winchester City Council has taken the issue head on with its climate change plan and has for-instance, taken the politically difficult decision to move to fortnightly rubbish collections which are having a dramatic impact on recycling rates. Only a few weeks ago, The Chronicle reported the lead our city is taking on this issue with the creation of the group Winchester Action on Climate Change which exists solely for the purpose of helping local people live greener lives.
“To single out one city and point the finger at its residents strikes me as churlish. Everyone wants to live and work in a way that impacts least on the environment but we need real leadership from Government as well. I want to see annual binding targets for reducing UK carbon emissions, positive action to target the most polluting airlines, strict new rules to ensure all new development is low-carbon and international leadership from our British Prime Minister to work with the United States, China and India on the global picture.
“This is not about washing our hands of responsibility here in Winchester, we will and we are doing our bit, but the challenge of climate change is a team game not a blame game.”
Pictured above; Steve Brine speaking up for Winchester to BBC South Today in The Square, Winchester on Tuesday 23 October 2007.