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Manchester business leaders, academics and community representatives are urging councillors and MPs to put a stop to fracking because of its impact on climate change.

The call from the steering group for Manchester A Certain Future (MACF) comes on the day Lancashire County Councillors debate an application by energy firm Cuadrilla to explore for shale gas at Little Plumpton.

Lancashire's senior planning officer has already recommended approval for the plan, but has advised rejection of plans to frack at another site at Roseacre Wood.

MACF has issued a statement calling for a moratorium on all new fossil fuel extraction and an end to subsidies and tax breaks for fossil fuels.

We also must prevent public money being used to subsidise or invest in coal, oil and gas companies.

"We call on MPs and councillors to put a stop to fracking and any other new fossil fuel extraction," said MACF chair Gavin Elliott. “We also must prevent public money being used to subsidise or invest in coal, oil and gas companies.

“And we urge Lancashire County Council to take the lead this week by rejecting Cuadrilla's applications to frack at two sites near the Fylde coast.”

Chair of MACF’s CO2 monitoring committee Ali Abbas underlined the importance of keeping the rise in global temperatures under 2 degrees. “If the UK is to make its fair contribution to avoiding dangerous climate change," he said, "development of new fossil fuel resources is unnecessary and counterproductive.

“Globally, we already have more fossil fuels available than is safe to burn: to keep the increase in global temperature below 2°C, the majority of reserves must remain underground.”

Other members of the group include: Simon Warburton (responsible for transport); Gudrun Cartwright (sustainable consumption and production); Steve Merridew (green and blue infrastructure); Dave Coleman (low carbon culture); Dr Jeremy Carter (adaption); Helen Seagrave (low carbon economy); Holly Bonfield (communications) and Nigel Rose (governance).

Also listed on its website are Manchester City Council’s member for environment Cllr Kate Chappell and environmental strategy manager Jonathan Sadler. Stephanie Lynch represents action for sustainable living

Fracking protest image by JustinWoolford via Flickr/Creative Commons