News
Landscape Institute joins other professions in offering Prime Minister support in tackling climate change
1st February 2008
The Landscape Institute today welcomed a collaborative letter signed by the leaders of the built environment professions including LI President Nigel Thorne, sent to the Prime Minister, urging a “detailed, equitable and binding agreement” to avert the worse consequences of climate change.
The letter, co-ordinated by the Construction Industry Council, is signed by all 27 leaders of the built environment professions and offers Gordon Brown help and support in tackling climate change. It also welcomes the Government’s commitment to limiting national carbon emissions and its objective of making all new homes and all new schools zero carbon by 2016.
However, Mr Thorne repeated his call that the government’s commitment to cut carbon dioxide emissions to just 60 percent was inadequate and said a decrease of at least 80 percent by 2050 should be achieved.
Mr Thorne said today: “The Landscape Institute, along with all members of the built environment professions, is committed to helping the Government deliver these targets and is keen to see these issues reach the top of the political agenda. Whatever we do as a nation to deal with this crisis must be supported by the expertise of professionals who understand the living and built environment at every scale.
“However, there is sufficient credible evidence to suggest that the minimum target for carbon emissions should be 80 percent and we welcome the government’s acknowledgement in presenting the Climate Change Bill that the evidence suggests that the UK may need to achieve an 80 percent reduction.”
The Landscape Institute is committed to producing a detailed Climate Change policy later this year, which will raise awareness both for its members and decision makers at all levels, of the role that landscape architects can play in climate change adaptation and mitigation. This policy will include case studies and examples and give guidance on what needs to be done to adapt to climate change.
The issue of climate change was also addressed at the Landscape Institute Annual Conference in November 2007 when Environment Secretary Hilary Benn MP acknowledged that landscape architects played a crucial role in tackling climate change and spoke of the need to devote more time and energy to green infrastructure.
