MP No.50 signs up to climate change challenge

Gavin Strang has become the 50th MP to agree to reduce his carbon emissions by 25 per cent in the next five years as part of a personal commitment to climate change.

The Labour MP for Edinburgh East signed up to the 25/5 Challenge issued last year by Commons colleague Colin Challen, the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Climate Change.

Gavin Strang said: "The danger that climate change poses has neverbeen clearer, and it is already taking place. All of us need to address this problem in whatever way we can, which is why I have signed up to the 25/5 personal carbon emissions challenge.

"This means I will be reducing my carbon emissions by 25 per cent within five years, and no later then the end of 2010.

"My first step is simply to audit my energy consumption to see in what areas I can make the first energy reductions. There are plenty of simple things that can be done like changing to energy savings light bulbs, a one-degree reduction in central heating, better insulation and so on."

Colin Challen, the MP for Morley, Rothwell and Middleton, who launched the all-party climate change group last year (2005) said: "I welcome Gavin as the 50th MP to sign up to the 25/5 Challenge. The commitment, which covers the carbon emissions over which Gavin has personal control, is a major demonstration of his determination to meet the threat of climate change, which will affect us all.

All the MPs who have signed up are acting as role models who practise what they preach in a very practical way, and who will be able to share their experiences with their constituents. There will be hurdle we all face in meeting this challenge, and I hope our experiences will inform the way we develop our national policies to make them more effective."

Note:
The full list of MPs who have signed the 25/5 Challenge is available from John Booth, researcher to Colin Challen, at boothj@parliament.uk(07914 778097).

Colin Challen will be chairing an all-party meeting on climate change in the Scottish Parliament at 1pm on Friday March 10. Further details available from Colin's researcher at boothj@parliament.uk.