1st November 2006

The Stern report’s dire warnings of a global depression and millions of refugees fleeing floods and drought if climate change is left unchecked are hardly new (Citizen 31/10/06). There is little in Sir Nicholas’s conclusions which the Green Party and a wide range of green groups haven’t been saying for years.

Clearly Greens welcome the report, and hope now the Government will match its rhetoric with action on cutting emissions and exercising leadership to forge a global agreement. Tony Blair has had a clear idea of the extent of the problem for some time, as he keeps reminding us, but has done little to tackle it. Examples abound like the government sidelining EU directives and initiatives aimed at tackling climate change (i).

As Stern makes clear, the problem is urgent. A litmus test to assess whether the government is serious about rising to the challenge will be whether it responds just as urgently. Will we now see full implementation of EU legislation on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, plus swift abandoning of those areas of government policy which are making the problem worse – like its support for roadbuilding schemes and massive expansion of the aviation industry? If not, then we are sadly witnessing yet more hot air from this government.

Locally, we are at last seeing some of our Council's start to take climate change seriously. It is vital in the absence of a Government lead that they have the courage to introduce the radical policies with the urgency that is needed. There is still too much complacency. As Sir Nicholas notes we do not have very much time in which to act.

Cllr Philip Booth, Stroud District Green party,



Notes:

(i) Eg delaying implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, and failing to set binding targets for energy demand reduction under the Energy Services Directive.