Vital to involve young people in climate talks

It may interest Brian and Kath, therefore, to know that the climate change sub group (which I chair ) of the council's environment scrutiny commission wish to meet the borough's youth cabinet to seek their views on how we can best set about involving young people in tackling climate change.

We recognise that it is vital that we involve young people generally in this most necessary work.

During this last couple of weeks we have seen the most sustained and concentrated rain in our own country since records began, resulting in devastating floods and, in the same week, temperatures of 45C (113F) in Greece and the Balkans, breaking previous records for the highest temperatures recorded.

This gives some indication of the extreme weather conditions we are increasingly likely to see if we do not successfully combat climate change, with consequential disruption, misery, untimely death and huge economic costs (as predicted by the Stern report).

Amongst the few items of really good news during the last week has been the decision of the executive of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) to submit a bid for over £3 billion for improvments to public transport in Greater Manchester against an undertaking to introduce a form of congestion charging when the public transport improvements are in place.

We now have the opportunity, subject to some hard negotiation with central government, to make a bid which - if successful - will greatly improve our quality of life, the quality of the very air we breathe and the prospects for sustainable increases in prosperity, as well as causing us to take precisely the sort of action we need to take to combat climate change.

I think that the AGMA executive are to be congratulated on having grasped the nettle and the opportunity that comes with it.

DEREK BODEN Members Room Bury Town Hall