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Mayor 'slow to pick green policy aide'
Pippa Crerar and Katharine Barney6 Jun 2008
Boris Johnson was accused today of dragging his feet over appointing an environmental adviser.
Green campaigners criticised the Mayor for failing to fill the post even though he has been in the job for five weeks. They said he faced "big challenges" to reduce the capital's carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2028, for which he would need expert advice.
City Hall insiders claimed he has had trouble finding a suitable candidate having failed to sign up at least one senior Tory environmentalist.
Jenny Bates, London campaign coordinator of Friends of the Earth, said: "Boris Johnson has a big challenge to fulfil his many promises to make London the greenest city in the world. The sooner he appoints the right people to advise him and comes up with an action programme the better."
The Mayor said: "We've made a great number of appointments in quite a lick, I don't see any reason to rush this one. We want to get the best possible candidate and I want to stress the environment will be a number one priority."
Mr Johnson has lost the chairmanship of the C40 group of.cities fighting climate change to David Miller, mayor of Toronto. His office said the post, previously held by Mr Livingstone, had been expected to rotate.
Mr Johnson has come under fire from environmentalists for scrapping plans for a £25 charge on gas guzzlers.
Reader views (3)
Just shows his interest in green matters. Cycling down one way streets the wrong way, blah blah, motorbikes in bus lanes, phew what a great job he is doing.
- Gary, London, UK, 11/06/2008 16:27
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So presumably the so-called "Green" campaigners liked it better under Ken Livingstone who always had a mate ready to be dropped into a highly-paid job they weren't qualified for?
- Martin, Telford England, 06/06/2008 16:45
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Good for you, Boris. CO2 alarmism is the biggest con ever played on the human race - and you know it.
- Howard, Wanstead, 06/06/2008 14:46
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