Friends of the Earth say '˜Action is needed now'˜

Ray Cobbett has been spearheading campaigns in Havant and helping to drive national action for the past 25 years.

Over in Gosport and Fareham, Norman Pasley and Tim Pratt are also doing their bit to combat the negative impacts that companies have on our environment.

Ray said: ‘Businesses can be destructive but it isn’t fair to say that they are irresponsible.

‘They have good reason to be cost-effective but the thinking consumer is starting to question the economical impact of processing and manufacturing.

‘Businesses need to be able to answer to this without blaming the council.

‘Customers buy products wrapped in plastic - companies know this plastic will need disposing of and that’s where the responsibility lies.’

Norman praised Marks & Spencer for its initiative in focusing on renewable energy.

He said: ‘In 2016 Marks and Spencer installed solar panels on eight of their largest stores.

‘That was a major move in renewable energy, reducing their electricity demand from the National Grid which still burns fossil fuels.

‘Some firms exceed the requirements of current legislation to lessen their carbon footprint.

‘We believe the following house builders go above and beyond what is required by legislation: A2 Dominium Group, HAB Housing and ZeroC. To our knowledge, there are no house builders in our area building to these high standards.

‘Builders will not voluntarily spend additional money to reduce carbon.

‘There is still a long way to go to reduce our carbon footprint. An unsustainable planet has limited life and action to recover sustainability is needed now.’