ENVIRONMENT Secretary David Miliband announces yet more climate change legislation in response to the Stern Review, but what is actually being done?

Plenty of hand-wringing and talk about the dangers facing us all, but no attempt to implement EU legislation our Government helped to enact.

In January this year the Sustainable And Secure Buildings Act came into effect, requiring all public buildings to be labelled with an A to G rating (like the labels on fridges) to show how energy efficient the building is.

The Government still has not said how it will enact this legislation, so now the EU is considering taking us to court.

Issuing declarations of concern are apparently enough for this Labour Government.

Before the eurobashers get into a lather, European legislation is created by the ministers of the nation states, including our own.

What happens is this: individual governments look at an issue, see what needs to be done, lack the courage to pass it through national parliament, so they team up with European partners to pass the legislation through the EU. That way what needs to be done gets done and everyone can blame the EU for making it happen.

On the positive side, York has started implementing the buildings directive.

In almost 20 schools, in council buildings and at Edmund Wilson pool you will see posters telling you about the energy efficiency of the building.

Not everyone likes them because, sometimes, the figures don't look good, but unless we are honest about the poor energy performance of some of our buildings we cannot hope to improve them.

We could provide Tony Blair with a poster for 10 Downing Street if he sends us the figures.

Coun Christian Vassie, Energy Champion, City of York Council Blake Court, Wheldrake, York.