The councils are being urged to take further steps to tackle greenhouse gas pollution and set out plans to encourage more environmentally friendly behaviour at a local level.
The plea comes just weeks after the Government published figures on local and regional emissions for 2005 (see notes to editors for details of statistics).
GO-East organised a series of green workshops in Bury St Edmunds and Bishop's Stortford, to help local councils define their role and powers in cutting the carbon footprint of local communities.
High on the agenda was how councils can engage with their local communities through Local Area Agreements and the influence they can have in tackling climate change.
Attending the summit, Essex County Council showed how they have reduced their carbon footprint through a reduction in household waste, C02 emmisions from domestic energy and car travel.
As part of their CRed Carbon Reduction programme, the Council engage with, and incentivise the public to take action by asking people to make a personal pledge to reduce their carbon footprint, in return for specialist advice to help them fulfil their pledge.
Andrew Field, Head of Economic Development at GO-East, and organiser of the events, said:
"The Government has set out its proposals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent by 2050 in the Climate Change Bill. Local authorities have an important part to play in helping to reduce emissions, given their local leadership role.
"There is significant willingness and expertise within local authorities to tackle this agenda, and the Government will now be looking to local councils to respond to the challenge. I am delighted that so many of the region's local authorities were represented at our workshop events."
Keynote speaker, Kevin Jones, Head of Environment Strategy at Essex County council, said:
"Everyone has a role to play in fighting climate change and reducing emissions and local authorities are at the forefront of the fight to combat climate change.
"Our work at Essex County Council shows what can be achieved through a combination of education programmes and incentivsing local people into action."
