Climate Change and Sustainability

Most scientists agree that global temperatures could rise significantly by the end of the 21st century, depending on future emissions of greenhouse gases.

If the rise is high, then changes are likely to be so extreme that it will be difficult to cope with them.

There are likely to be more intense and frequent extreme weather events, like floods and heat waves, and a further rise in sea levels.

To learn more about the science of climate change and what is being done to address it across the UK visit the Act on CO2 website.

Climate change is now at the top of the political agenda and Local Authorities, including Wirral, have a crucial role to play in responding to the challenge posed.

Tackling climate change requires that we reduce our emissions of Greenhouse Gases and adapt to the changes in climate that will occur. This links into the concept of sustainable development.

Sustainability

Sustainability is about achieving a balance between the immediate needs of the local community, and those of future generations and the wider world.

In local terms, this means achieving our corporate aim of "Reducing our carbon footprint", and making sure that it stays that way, and we don't spoil the world around us in the process.

Environmental sustainability refers to the environmental actions or impacts of what we do.

In moving towards sustainability, we are attempting to reduce our ecological footprint or to tread more lightly on the Earth.

This equates to reducing the amount of resources we use (and buy), the waste we produce and the emissions we produce.

With every action impacting on the planets ecosystems, from the local to the global, the world is changing and it is not just the climate.

Wirral Council is addressing environmental sustainability across the following areas: