15th November 2006

Cllr Philip Booth, a spokesperson for Stroud District Green party, commenting on the new Climate Change Bill said: "This Bill is a deep disappointment. Nearly two-thirds of MP's plus Oxfam, WWF, Christian Aid, UNISON and many others have called for annual binding targets. Thousands of campaigners across the South West have also called for binding targets. The government's own Stern review stated that it is better to achieve faster reductions earlier, or greater reductions will be needed later. But it seems Mr Blair is determined to fly in the face of public opinion, of scientific recommendations and of common sense. The lack of annual targets in this bill shows this Government has completely failed to understand the urgency of this issue."

Philip Booth said: "If we are to to make real headway on curbing our emissions we need to act now. We need a Climate Change Bill which sets binding emissions-reduction targets of 6 per cent a year to allow us to achieve cuts in UK emissions of 90 per cent by 2030. Rather than making cosmetic changes we need a leader who is prepared to lead at home and internationally on this issue to bring about a international fair system to tackle climate change like Contraction and Convergence."

Philip Booth added: "There is a whole menu of effective measures already being implemented in Europe. Tony Blair just has to pick some of them and start work, but instead he is fudging and stalling, as he has been for nine long years. The Germans, the French and the Spanish government's have all managed to take decisive action on climate change (i). Why can't Blair? Our Green Peer, Lord Beaumont, will seek to add amendments to the Climate Change bill in its passage through the Lords in the hope that we can make it more meaningful (ii)."


Notes for Editors:

(i) The French Prime Minister on Monday announced the creation next year of a coal tax and a 10-percent increase in taxation of industrial and air transport pollution in France - to re-enforce the principle of the polluter pays. Spain has this week made solar panels compulsory on all new and renovated buildings - predicted to bring energy savings of 30 to 40 percent for each building and a reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from energy consumption of 40 to 55 percent (See: www.msnbc.msn.com). German Greens have incentivised installation of renewables by paying a higher rate for carbon-free electricity sold to the grid. They are also doubling the effect by lending about £1bn a year, interest free, to householders and companies to install wind and solar. The whole scheme is paid by a small charge (€0.5 per kWh) on fossil-fuel generated electricity. Italy's Green Party Environment Minister is also pushing for a similar scheme (At a rate of 57.40 Euro cents per kWh).

(ii) Proposals will include: a commitment to Contraction and Convergence - Increases to the rate of the Carbon Change Levy, placing it on an escalator like the old fuel-duty escalator - Setting departmental investment in CO2 reduction measures targets - depending on the area, shift investment into energy efficiency, economic measures etc depending on remit - Pledge to reduce spending on climate damaging technologies and developments - Pledge to increase year on year investment in clean technologies e.g. local recycling, solar, wind etc - massively expand the renewables obligation, including financial incentives to encourage suppliers to use renewable sources along the lines of the German model (Feed-In tariffs) - Establish a feasibility study and pilot scheme to prepare fort he introduction of a personal carbon trading scheme - Require that embodied and trade-transport-related CO2 emissions for goods consumed in the UK get included in our national totals - A commitment to the 450ppm target and hence to 90%+ reductions by 2050 (not achievable but allows others to negotiate the current targets upwards) Substituting cap-and-share for the ETS carbon trading scheme.