"The UK has begun the transition to a low carbon economy. The Transition will change every aspect of our lives, our work and our society."

"There are big changes in our lifestyle. The UK low carbon transition plan to 2020 and beyond is a route map for Britain as to how we move forward...we’re going to the carbon dioxide out of what we do."

Rt. Hon. Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change - 'The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan.'

GovToday presents Sustainable Communities ’09: Securing our Low Carbon Future Conference and Exhibition, which will be held on 12th November at Church House Conference Centre, Westminster.

Sustainable Communities ’09: Securing our Low Carbon Future will examine the prerequisites necessary to establish ‘Sustainable Communities’ in the UK, both as an effective driver of our low carbon economy, and as an exemplar - creating a sustainable legacy for the future and building our capability to meet both national and global carbon reduction targets; 34 per cent below 1990 emissions by 2020, and 80 per cent below 1990 emissions by 2050.

With the formation of the Department for Energy and Climate Change in 2008, and the legal framework for progress established in the groundbreaking Energy and Climate Change Acts, success in reaching our carbon reduction targets is now achievable.

On the 29th June 2009, the Government launched ‘Building Britain’s Future’ and on the 15th July, ‘The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan’, these documents have set out the route map for creating a low carbon Britain.

On the 1st September 2009, the Government introduced ‘10:10’, a new campaign to cut carbon emissions by 10 per cent by 2010, which has outlined a number of initiatives to help householders, businesses and the public sector meet this challenging target moving forward.

However, this is set currently against a bleak background of global economic austerity, the mounting demand of developing economies for an increased stake in economic growth and development, and the reticence of the developed countries to adapt and mitigate to the challenges of climate change.

Consequently, the importance of our collective responsibility cannot be underestimated; raising awareness and inspiring action on an individual level can make a fundamental contribution on both a national and international level.

Government, both local and national, and the wider public sector, need to put the foundations in place and lead and guide development, and it is in enabling and driving progress on the ground in our ‘Sustainable Communities’ where change will be most significant.

Sustainable Communities ’09: Securing our Low Carbon Future will provide an unique platform for debate and analysis of the evidence and requirements for future progress, whilst presenting an opportunity to disseminate much-needed learning and best practice across all sectors involved in this agenda.