Speaking to reporters at the Ripon Building after meeting a delegation from British High Commission, Mayor M Subramanian said, “By changing to CFLs, the 321-year-old civic body would do its effort to minimise the effects of the global warming in city.”

Besides, the Mayor also announced gift schemes for its staff who successfully reduce the energy consumption charges in civic body’s administrative offices. Under the new scheme, which is basically a motivational one for its employees to reduce electricity bills thus decreasing the effect of global warming, the Mayor said, “One of the Corporation offices that have considerably reduced their bill charges would be selected and the responsible official would be rewarded for the action.”

Besides maintaining 1500-odd small, medium and big parks in the city, the civic body maintains around 300 school buildings, 165 ward as well as Zonal offices, 15 hospitals and another 50 health posts in its 155 wards. Subramanian also asked the Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni to send detailed letters to different civic body officials for creating awareness on the need for energy savings at offices.

The announcement came after the British High Commissioner to India, Richard Stagg called on the Mayor M Subramanian at the Ripon Building to discuss the strategy that would be evolved by the Asian cities to fight global warming and climatic changes.

Speaking to reporters after a brief meeting with Mayor, Stagg said that it was high time for the Asian cities to address the global warming and carbon emission seriously since the worst sufferers of the climate change are going to be the regional countries and India in particular. Stagg said, “United Kingdom was ready to cooperate with the other nations and come out with an action plan, which can address the issue.”