Eight Parliamentary candidates for Oxford constituencies have signed up to a "Green X Code" produced by environmental campaigners Friends of the Earth.

Oxford FOE approached all the candidates for both Oxford constituencies and asked whether they would back the code's five key pledges if they were elected to Parliament.

The group said that the Code's five pledges were the key test of whether candidates take the environment seriously.

The pledges are:

**Provide every household with quality doorstep recycling ensuring no new incinerators are needed and half our waste is recycled by 2010.

**Treble investment in buses and traffic-calming by 2005 so that everyone has access to regular public transport and can live in a safe street.

**Make biotech companies responsible for any harm caused by genetically modified crops and food by introducing strict liability legislation.

**Protect the world's climate by cutting CO2 emissions by 20 per cent and generating 20 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2010.

**Make businesses accountable to society by requiring directors to report on, and take into account, their environmental and social impacts.

Five candidates in Oxford East - Steve Goddard (Lib Dem), John Lister (Socialist Alliance), Pathmanathan Mylvaganam (Independent), Pritam Singh (Green) and Linda Hodge (ProLife Alliance) - three in Oxford West & Abingdon, Dr Evan Harris (Lib Dem), Sigrid Shreeve (No Spin and Mike Woodin (Green) have signed all five pledges.

Oxford Friends of the Earth gave out Green X Code postcard packs to Oxford voters at their stall at the Greenpeace Summer Fair on Saturday in the Wesley Memorial Hall, New Inn Hall Street, Oxford. Voters can send these postcards to their candidates, asking which of the pledges they support.