Cornwall CC has hired top public sector lawyer, Stephen Cirell, to head up its new climate change initiative. In an unusual move, Mr Cirell, a partner in the public sector group at lawyer, Eversheds, is to join Cornwall on secondment as programme director for the Green Peninsular initiative. He will be responsible for all issues relating to climate change and sustainability, reporting to chief executive, Kevin Lavery. Mr Cirell, who said the topic was his great passion, added: βIt is wrong to see this as just another requirement. If they get it right, local authorities can co-ordinate a whole range of green activity, and that is the only way that the targets in the Climate Change Act will be met.' The carbon-reduction commitment next year will result in fines for councils failing to meet it.