Sir, I cannot agree with the criticisms of the county council in your Leader last week re climate change.

£16.4m is a figure calculated with the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) based on bills for road repairs, insurance claims and emergency provisions incurred as a consequence of weather events in the county. Other financial costs, such as 20,000 hours of staff time and lost teaching time, were not included.

It was the first project of its kind and will lead the way for councils across the UK.

All of the evidence points to an increasing incidence of extreme weather events. The recent Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change estimated that worldwide the costs could amount to as much as 20 per cent of GDP if we do nothing.

At Oxfordshire County Council we are installing energy efficient boilers, cavity insulation, improved heating and lighting controls in council buildings and exploring on-site renewable energy generation including biomass production, solar and wind energy trials of lower energy street lights and bollards. We are also rolling out multi-material recycling across council buildings.

We can all help as individuals by analysing our own travelling habits, making sure homes are properly insulated and recycling, reducing and re-using as much waste as possible.

Climate change is happening and the effects are serious. However we can avoid the worst effects by acting now.

Not only this but there are some major business/employment opportunities, particularly in technology development, tourism and new markets for low carbon goods and services, which Oxfordshire is extremely well placed to benefit from.

Roger Belson, Cabinet member of sustainable development, Oxfordshire County Council