UK Government's climate review is totally inadequate

Friends of the Earth Cymru accused Ministers of lacking the political will to tackle climate change, following today's publication of the UK Government's review of its climate change programme. The environmental campaign group described the review as "pathetic" and called for a new law to make the UK Government legally responsible for reducing UK carbon dioxide emissions.

The UK Government has repeatedly promised to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent of 1990 levels by 2010, including in all three of the general election manifestos that have put New Labour in Government. But emissions have risen by three per cent since Tony Blair came to power in 1997. The latest figures show that they are currently only around five per cent below 1990 levels. The revised strategy was supposed to get the UK back on track - but it is clear that it has failed to do this.

Friends of the Earth Cymru's Assembly Campaigner, Gordon James, said:

"Tough action is needed to tackle climate change. But once again the UK Government has caved in to short-term political pressures and produced a totally inadequate response. This feeble strategy will not deliver the UK Government's promise to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent by 2010, and will further undermine the Prime Minister's reputation on this issue. The ship is heading for the rocks. But rather than changing direction, Captain Blair has simply reduced speed while his crew continues to squabble."

"Most MPs now back Friends of the Earth's call for a new law requiring the UK Government to make annual cuts in carbon dioxide. It's time that Ministers accepted how their present programme is failing and embrace the need for a stronger and more structured approach. The solutions exist, but the UK Government clearly lacks the political will to use them."

"In Wales, we believe the Assembly Government, which has endorsed the UK Government's review, should re-write its energy saving strategy to ensure that much more is done to reduce energy use in our homes and workplaces, give more support to the tidal lagoon proposals that could generate significant amounts of electricity off the Welsh coast and switch funding from road building to public transport."

"The crisis of climate change demands that big steps have to be taken to cut carbon dioxide emissions. Instead of that, we have been offered a small package of measures that amount to trying to put out a forest fire with a bucket of water."

Friends of the Earth's climate campaign, The Big Ask, is calling on the UK Government to introduce a climate law that would set a legally binding target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 3 per cent every year, monitored through an annual carbon budget. The proposal, which has widespread backing, is supported by most MPs, including 26 of the 40 Welsh MPs. For more information see www.thebigask.com

The programme published today has a number of significant failings:

• It will not deliver the UK Government target of a 20 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2010 being met;
  
  
• It lacks an overall framework for tackling climate change, relying instead on a piecemeal approach which past experience strongly suggests is doomed to fail;
  
  
• It does not ensure that there will be significant carbon dioxide reductions from industry. The Government says that under the next phase of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme industry will have to cut its carbon dioxide emissions in 2010 by between three and eight million tonnes, based on projected levels. Because industrial carbon dioxide emissions are projected to rise, a reduction of just three million tonnes will actually see industrial emissions higher than they are today.
  
  
• It doesn't commit to a reduction in traffic and does not do enough to ensure that more efficient vehicles are used. Road transport accounts for 25 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions.
  
  
• There is no review of the Government's disastrous aviation strategy, which heavily subsidies cheap flights and is allowing a massive expansion in capacity through the building of new runways and airport terminals. Aviation is the fastest growing source of carbon dioxide emissions in the UK.
  
  
• It does not go far enough in realising the massive potential for energy saving, renewable power and combined heat & power schemes, leaving Britain largely dependent on the inefficient use of fossil fuels for electricity and heating.