Alliance blasts Arlene Foster over token green publicity stunt

10.01.14am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 21st May 2007

Alliance Environment Spokesperson Cllr Stewart Dickson

Alliance Environment Spokesperson Cllr Stewart Dickson has blasted Environment Minister Arlene Foster's carbon offsetting as a publicity stunt and said she must convince local people she is serious about making the public sector more environmentally friendly. His comments come following her pledge to plant trees to offset carbon emissions caused by Department of Environment staff travel.

Cllr Stewart Dickson said: "The Minister's carbon offsetting ploy is merely a token green publicity stunt. She must show that she is really serious about making the private sector environmentally friendly.

"To do that she must look to installing renewable energy sources in government buildings and make sure that those buildings are properly insulated.

"She might also do well to take the bus to work and see the service that local people have to face if they genuinely want to go green. We need the Minister to get real and get serious about environmentalism.

"There is no point in shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. Real reforms must be made across the public sector to protect the environment. They urgently need to tackle issue of waste in public sector.

"Government must set the standard, and it must be a gold standard on green issues."

ENDS