My role
I will champion the region's efforts to reconcile a growth agenda with our sustainable development commitments, and feed that back to Whitehall and Regional Ministerial colleagues. This region faces some of the biggest environmental challenges in its history over the next 15 years. We can be innovative leaders on this agenda, and I want to play my role in pushing this forward.
In particular I am keen to develop my role in the Coastal Forum, which seeks to bring together a whole series of local, regional and national partners, who play a role in supporting people and the environment along the region's coastline. The area is home to some of our poorest residents, and has a whole series of issues from access to transport and jobs and provision of schooling and healthcare, to the eroding coastline and threat of flooding. Yet as one of our most popular and high profile destinations, and a potential source of renewable energy, it also offers real opportunities. I want to help the Forum to find solutions to these issues, and forge new ways of working to make a difference to local people.
Our priorities
To ensure that Government departments are working closely together to protect the region's environment so that we accommodate significant growth without causing environmental harm, which contributes to global problems.
We are committed to investing in renewable energy and are on course to supply 14% of the East of England's electricity from renewable sources by 2010. £8 - £10bn investment is expected in offshore tidal wave and wind energy along the East of England coast over the next ten years
The East of England has ambitious growth plans and is the driest region in the UK, receiving only 66% of average rainfall. That is why we have set up the East of England Water Partnership, the first joint programme of its kind in the country, which aims to ensure that the region's water resources are managed effectively and efficiently.
We are determined to reduce CO2 emissions in the region, with the East of England emitting nearly 47 million tonnes of CO2 each year. GO-East is negotiating targets over the next three years though Local Area Agreements with local authorities, which will lead to positive action on carbon reduction through locally-led, community-based initiatives.
Sustainable growth is key to protecting the region's environment. That is why we are using the new Code for Sustainable Homes to encourage consumers in the East of England to demand that all new houses are energy and water efficient, constructed from responsibly sourced materials and consider any flood risk. We have also invested £2.95m million in the SmartLife Training Centre in Cambridge where people can learn about sustainable construction techniques and modern building methods.
