New UK Government Signs-up to 10:10

10:10’s Duncan Clark reports on the government’s committment to cut 10% of its emissions over the next 12 months. To find out more <click here>

It’s been an amazing few days: on Wednesday, the 10:10 team were thrilled when the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition announced a commitment to reduce the entire carbon footprint of central government by 10% in a year. The pledge confirmed that both parties’ earlier manifesto pledges to do 10:10 had made it through the thorny negotiation process.

Then, yesterday evening, just as 10:10 were hosting one of their fortnightly 10:10 seminars, the phone rang. It was 10 Downing Street, inviting us down to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) this morning to meet prime minister David Cameron, along with the new secretary for energy and climate change, Chris Huhne.

The government’s 10% announcement – equivalent to taking 200,000 cars off the road – is a monumental victory for 10:10 and testament to how far the campaign has come in the eight short months since its launch.

Best of all, when the 10:10 team interviewed him, Chris Huhne agreed to come to 10:10 HQ to give a seminar and discuss their plans – which include everything from a fridge scrappage scheme to turning off the lights overnight in some of the country’s biggest landmark buildings, as well as the biggest ever day of climate change action on 10/10/10.