Councils have been urged to support an all-party campaign for local carbon budgets as the UK struggles to meet its climate change targets.

Local authorities – Birmingham, Bristol, Haringey, Manchester, Newcastle and West Sussex – have called on the Government to introduce legislation for local carbon budgets in this Parliament.

In a joint letter to climate change secretary, Chris Huhne MP, the councils said ‘area-based action’ was essential to tackling climate change.

They suggest ‘fair budgets’ be drawn up based on timely emissions data, the need to meet a 34% carbon reduction by 2020, and local circumstances.

The campaign, orchestrated by Friends of the Earth, is a response to the minister’s request for councils to propose how they can work with central government to meet the legally binding targets set out in the Climate Change Act 2000.

Birmingham, the country’s biggest local authority, has already published its own declaration on climate change. The plan, to use the council’s purchasing power and influence as a vehicle to stimulate green initiatives, is expected to help the city meet its ambitious target of reducing carbon levels by 60% by 2026.

Sandy Taylor, the council’s head of climate change and sustainability, told Surveyor: ‘We want to make the city greener and see local carbon budgets as a key part of this – it made perfect sense to sign up.’

By 2015, all further vehicle purchases made by the council will be low carbon or electric models. A number of electric vehicle charging points have also been rolled out in the city, largely through the West Midland’s CABLED project, which is collecting data on their everyday use. The council is now putting together a case for a wider rollout.

Mr Taylor said: ‘We are looking towards the spending review to see how much money will be made available for the Government’s Plugged-in Places initiative but so far we are reasonably confident with regards to its green agenda.

‘We also see the new powers given to councils to sell electricity back to the grid as a huge opportunity and are looking to maximise the way in which the council can use its own assets and property to generate revenue benefits and environmental benefits. Money raised in this way can be put back into sustainability projects.’

Manchester City Council plans to reduce emissions by 41% by 2020. Its leader, Sir Richard Leese, told Surveyor it was important the Government introduced the necessary legislation for local carbon budgets during this session of parliament.

‘Along with Friends of the Earth, we believe passionately that cities must lie at the heart of any plans to tackle climate change.’