Kingston's green future discussed by experts (From Your Local Guardian)

Kingston's green future discussed by experts

5:40pm Wednesday 9th March 2011 in Kingston By Louise Robertson

Expert speakers and environmental minds met to discuss the borough's green future and the path to climate change resilience.

A day long programme entitled Kingston Vision for 2050: A Green Energy Future was devised based on council-led public consultations about how Kingston should look in 2050.

Community groups, government representatives, green industry experts and business people gathered to address the opportunities the vision could bring, and how achievable it was.

Charging points, turbines, a tram link, open air gym, allotment and tree-lined avenues were just some of the ideas thrown up by the consultation.

Zac Goldsmith MP, who was at the event, said: "It brought together a wide range of experts and local campaigners, and there was a sense of real enthusiasm and willingness to go beyond the box-ticking.

"My job is to press the Government to make it as easy as possible for local green initiatives to happen, and I think we’re making progress."

As well as looking at how growth could be sustainably delivered, the congregation looked examples where energy use had switched from fossil fuel to low or zero carbon energy systems.

It was also agreed that change needed to come from the community, with groups like Green Guardian winners Transition Town Kingston leading the way.