One hundred thousand local authorities told the G8 - the group representing the eight richest countries in the world - last week that they control the future on climate change. Transport, planning, education, waste manage- ment and housing - every one of them is the domain of local government - and the future management of these will change the climate of our planet, for better or worse. Many councils are already facing up to what lies ahead, and developing strategies to tackle what is accepted as the biggest challenge of our age. Local authorities acting locally to tackle climate change have already achieved reductions in CO2 emissions, and seen many tangible benefits in their wider communities. This year, as the UK chairs the G8, local government is finding a global voice on environment issues. The Local Government Association (LGA) and the Local Government International Bureau (LGIB) led calls from associations representing more than 100,000 local authorities from across Europe, and from every G8 member country, for rhetoric when it comes to tackling climate change to be turned into real action.
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