ON THE eve of next week's world environment conference in New York, most councils in Britain have failed to fulfil the "green" policies set five years ago after the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Last year, the councils recycled only five per cent of household waste - well short of the 25 per cent target the Government has set by the end of the decade. Increases in recycling are failing to keep pace with growing mountains of rubbish.
A report today from the Audit Commission says that local authorities bury enough waste in 18 months to fill Windermere. Fewer than 10 have municipal incinerators that come up to European Union emission standards. In England and Wales, councils last year collected an average of 827kg (four-fifths of a ton) of rubbish from each household, compared with 790kg the previous year. About 45kg was recycled and most of the rest sent to landfill sites.
Councils have also failed to make much progress in energy saving, the Audit Commission says. While some authorities retain databases of energy use and have a good record of conservation, many regard such investment as a low priority. One county council could save £1 million, or 20 per cent of its fuel bill, by better energy management, especially in schools, and many authorities could improve the energy efficiency of their council houses at modest cost.
"Despite decades of emphasis on conserving energy, there remains a sizeable number of properties without basic energy efficiency measures," says the report.
Councils are also urged to tackle the "car culture" by pedestrianising more city centres, introducing park-and-ride schemes and tougher traffic restrictions, including higher parking charges. Among the towns singled out for good transport practice are Winchester, Brighton, Hull and Exeter.
The Audit Commission accuses some councils of merely paying "lip service to the environmental agenda", though many were attempting to "raise their game".
Among its recommendations are:
Reducing the number of large, wheeled refuse bins that encourage people to dump waste they might otherwise try to recycle.
Introducing more recycling sites where householders can take waste.
A greater emphasis on paper collection.
Encouraging home owners to use organic waste matter for composting. Some councils offer free or subsidised home composters.
More incinerators. They are expensive but the new landfill tax should make them increasingly economic.
Reduce the £100m spent annually on water for schools, municipal pools and other council buildings. Checking cistern overflows and identifying underground leaks could save millions.
Basic insulation for all council buildings.
More cycle routes and more children walking to school. A "walk to school" campaign by three London boroughs saw 32 per cent of pupils switch from the car.
