‘We are talking about the imminent danger of destroying life on Earth’

• I AM astonished to read the two sentences below in recent Labour Party publications.

Labour’s manifesto states: “We have seen a 45% reduction in carbon emissions in Islington since 2006, the 11th largest decrease per person in the country, and this is due to Islington Labour’s focus on tackling the climate crisis urgently.”

Labour pamphlet Fairer Greener Healthier Together states: “Between 2005 and 2019, we cut carbon emissions by 45% – and we’re on target for ‘net zero’ by 2030”

Local climate activists have been asking the council for months for information with statistics about how the work towards net-zero is going. We are always fobbed off with generalisations and counting strategies as achievements.

The above statements are misleading and incomplete at best and downright lies at worst.

Neither of them provides evidence that Islington Labour is focusing “on tackling the climate crisis urgently” or that it’s “on target for ‘net zero’ by 2030”.

I believe that they do not have this evidence and that there is no real zeal to achieve this.

Just one example: what are the council doing to improve the insulation in their own properties and to support owners of leaky private Victorian housing in the same endeavour?

Reducing carbon emissions is not a political game where Labour are trying to “get one over” on the Greens. We are talking about the imminent danger of destroying life on Earth.

I had decided not to vote for Labour candidates in May before reading this but I am now confirmed in my view.

I suspect that the council will not care about this. They are arrogantly happy with their “one-party state” and they have no notion of co-operating for the greater good. Shame on them.

UN secretary general, António Guterres, said in a strongly-worded rebuke reported this week: “Some government and business leaders are saying one thing – but doing another. Simply put, they are lying. And the results will be catastrophic.”

This applies to local government too.

JILL ELLENBY, N5