06/06/2005 - The Environment
Agency will today (Sunday) urge city leaders
to encourage their communities to take immediate
steps to minimise their environmental impact
and strive to be the ‘greenest city’.
Speaking on World Environment Day at the
Mayor of London’s Green Lifestyle Show Barbara
Young, Chief Executive of the Environment
Agency said: “City leaders have the power
to shape the future of the world’s environment
and lead their communities in helping to
protect and enhance the environment around
them. I would like to see city leaders and
businesses leading by example and making
small, simple lifestyle changes to save
water and energy and protect the world’s
resources.”
The theme for World Environment Day 2005
is ‘Green Cities’ and it is promoted in
England and Wales by the Environment Agency
who encourages practical, action oriented
engagement with environmental issues. By
signing up to one or more of 12 simple pledges
on our website (see link) people are able
to see how their efforts are reducing the
amount of water and energy used and their
impact on the environment.
The website provides daily updates of how
many pledges have been made and which town
or city is pledging the most – or least!
London is one city already taking action
to improve the environment through successful
initiatives such as the central London congestion
charge. Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone,
said “With 7.4 million people living, working
and travelling within greater London, this
places a huge strain on our environment.
On World Environment Day, I urge Londoners
to find out more about their environment
and make small changes towards a more sustainable
lifestyle.’
The Mayor is hosting the London Lifestyle
Show in Greenwich Park on Sunday 5 June
where TV gardener Chris Beardshaw will be
guest appearing to demonstrate how easy
it is to think and act green.
Chris Beardshaw enthuses 'Living a more
green lifestyle isn't complicated, it's
not expensive, and it's not inconvenient
- in fact it makes a lot of common sense.
If everyone applied a common sense approach
like turning off the light switch when leaving
a room, buying energy saving light bulbs
and turning off the tap when you clean your
teeth, recycling your rubbish then it may
well save each of us money but if we all
worked together then it can have a significant
impact on our environment. In simple terms
we can't afford to ignore a common sense
route.'
World Environment Day is already backed
by more than 20 famous personalities, including
TV presenter Fearne Cotton who said: "I
was horrified to discover that leaving the
TV and stereo on standby can still use so
much energy, I'm definitely going to switch
off as many electrical goods as possible
before going to bed or going away, and will
be encouraging my friends and family to
do the same - just by making a little bit
of effort we can really make a difference."
Check your progress! The World Environment
Day statistics for the number of pledges
and the amount of water, energy and plastic
bags saved are updated daily on our website.
Geographical, age and gender statistics
are also available.
Issued in behalf of the Environment Agency.
For more information about World Environment
Day visit the website.
