Reducing Britain's emissions by 10% in 2010.

A great new campaign was launched today to persuade everyone in Britain to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 10% in 2010. It’s called 10 in 10 and it’s the brainchild of Franny Armstrong, the director of the climate change film, “The Age of Stupid”.

The launch was like a modern Noah's Ark with ten of everything signing up. I've been working on getting councils to sign up to 10:10. It hasn't been easy. August simply isn't a good month for asking local authorities to make such dramatic commitments!

But I'm delighted to say that nine councils have now pledged to cut their emissions by 10% in 2010. They are Eastleigh, Hackney, Islington, Kirklees, Oxford, Richmond, Slough, Stroud and West Sussex (see photo of their representatives with me above). If you’d like to see your local council sign up to 10:10, then please email your local councillors and the Leader of the Council.

Cutting 10% in one year is a bold target, but for most of us it’s an achievable one, and it’s in line with what climate change scientists say we need right now. Our aim is to persuade the UK government to pledge a cut of 10% in our national emissions in 2010 at the Copenhagen climate change negotiations in December. If we can do it, then so can the UK government. And if the UK government can do it, then so can other governments. And if we all do it, then we’ll be on track to prevent runaway climate change.

You can sign up at www.1010uk.org.

By signing up to 10:10 you’re not just promising to reduce your own emissions – you’re becoming part of a national drive to hit this ambitious goal country-wide. In our homes, in our workplaces, our schools and our hospitals, our galleries and football clubs and universities, we’ll be backing each other up as we take the first steps on the road to becoming a low-carbon society.