Government set to introduce Climate Bill in Queen's Speech

The Government is expected to announce a Climate Change Bill in the Queen's Speech on Wednesday 15 November 2006 [1].

The campaign for a Climate Change Bill was initiated by Friends of the Earth through The Big Ask campaign. The campaign was launched in 2005 to secure new legislation which would require successive Governments to cut UK carbon dioxide emissions by at least three per cent every year (www.thebigask.com/ / www.yrherfawr.com/).

A Climate Change Bill, drafted by Friends of the Earth, was introduced to Parliament in April 2005 by former Conservative Environment Minister John Gummer, former Labour Environment Minister Michael Meacher and the then Lib Dem Environment spokesman Norman Baker [2]. The Big Ask campaign was formally launched the following month by Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke. On the same day a Parliamentary petition (EDM 178) was opened calling for new legislation "so that annual cuts in carbon dioxide emissions of three per cent can be delivered" [3].

There is now a huge coalition of organisations, politicians and political parties calling for a new climate change law which will require the Government to make annual cuts in UK carbon dioxide emissions. This includes 412 MPs (29 out of 40 Welsh MPs) who have signed Early Day Motion 178 and all the main opposition parties.

Details of the new legislation have not been finalised, with the Government promising to "promote the widest possible debate across the country and in Parliament" [1] about its contents.

Friends of the Earth is delighted that the Government is to introduce new legislation on climate change, but says that it must require annual cuts in UK carbon dioxide emissions.

Friends of the Earth Director, Tony Juniper said: "We are delighted that the Government is set to introduce new legislation to tackle climate change. There is now overwhelming cross-party support for new legislation to cut UK carbon dioxide emissions by at least three per cent every year, which Friends of the Earth has been calling for through The Big Ask campaign for the last 18 months. We hope that Ministers will seize the opportunity presented by this political consensus and make the UK a world leader in developing a low carbon economy."

Friends of the Earth Cymru is calling for the Welsh Assembly Government to commit itself to annual reductions in carbon dioxide emissions from Wales.

Julian Rosser, Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru commented: "Whatever laws are proposed by Tony Blair we are facing an urgent situation. We should all be taking every step possible to combat climate change and the Assembly Government should be leading the way by setting binding annual targets to drive action. Instead, they seem committed to spending millions on new roads and subsiding aeroplanes while telling us they don't have the powers to make a difference.

"Tackling climate change could bring enormous opportunities for Wales in establishing new industries dedicated to energy efficiency and renewable power generation. Improving people's homes, making industry more efficient and generating electricity from the wind, seas, sun and crops could create thousands of jobs while not wrecking the climate."

Despite three manifesto promises to cut UK carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent (from 1990 levels) by 2010, UK emissions are higher than they were in 1997 when Labour came to power [4] Earlier this year the Government conceded that this target would not be met, and revised its target to a 15-18 per cent cut in carbon dioxide.

Notes

1. www.defra.gov.uk/news/latest/2006/ ¬
climate-1030.htm

2. See history of the climate campaign below

3. http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/ ¬
EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=28373

4. www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/ ¬
uk_carbon_emissions_still_20102006.html

5. www.defra.gov.uk/news/2006/ ¬
060328a.html

WHY THE NEW CLIMATE CHANGE BILL MUST INCLUDE ANNUAL CUTS IN CARBON DIOXIDE

The aim of climate change legislation must be to ensure the UK does its bit to stop global temperatures from rising by more than two degrees Celsius. Past manifesto promises have not been kept. A new law would make successive Governments legally accountable for cutting emissions. Friends of the Earth's The Big Ask climate campaign is calling for annual cuts of at least three per cent.

Long term targets like the current 2050 target will not keep UK carbon dioxide emissions within strict limits. Carbon dioxide persists in the atmosphere for around 100 years, so the severity of climate change in 2050 will be determined by the total emissions by then - not just those in 2050. This is why a Bill is required which specifies how much carbon dioxide can be emitted each year, not just for one year in the distant future. While there may be some years when cuts are larger, and others when cuts are smaller, it is essential that the Bill is clear what the cuts should be each year, to make it easy to assess future government performance. Such targets will also prevent a future government deciding not to bother cutting emissions in the hope that a future government will act instead.

The Bill must also include mechanisms that ensure government performance is fully scrutinised, and introduce mechanisms that will get Ministers back on track if emissions are not being reduced.

WHAT SORT OF CLIMATE CHANGE BILL WILL THE GOVERNMENT INTRODUCE

The full details of the proposed climate change legislation have yet to be decided. The Government has promised to "promote the widest possible debate across the country and in Parliament". What the Government has said is that climate change legislation will comprise four key elements (www.defra.gov.uk/news/latest/2006/ ¬
climate-1030.html):

• It will put the Government's long term goal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 60% by 2050 into statute. How the target is defined and set, and how the government measure and report on its progress, are fundamental issues that the government is still considering. The Government will also consider appropriate interim targets.
• It will establish an independent body - the Carbon Committee - to work with Government to reduce emissions over time and across the economy. Its advice will be open, transparent, equitable and mindful of sectoral and competitiveness impacts, including the need to secure energy supplies at competitive prices.
• It will create enabling powers to put in place new emissions reduction measures needed to achieve our goals.
• It will improve monitoring and reporting arrangements, including how the Government reports to Parliament.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CAMPAIGN FOR A CLIMATE CHANGE BILL

7 April 2005
Following discussions between Friends of the Earth, former Conservative Environment Minister John Gummer, former Labour Environment Minister Michael Meacher and the then Lib Dem Environment spokesman Norman Baker, a Bill, drafted by Friends of the Earth, was introduced to Parliament (by the three MPs) setting out a Bill to combat climate change by setting annual targets for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions until 2050. Parliament was then shortly dissolved ahead of the general election.

25 May 2005
Friends of the Earth formally launched The Big Ask climate campaign (http://www.thebigask.com/), with Radiohead front man Thom Yorke, calling for new legislation to make the Government responsible for cutting UK carbon dioxide emissions by three per cent every year. On the same day a Parliamentary petition (Early Day Motion 178) opened calling for new legislation requiring "annual cuts in carbon dioxide emissions of three per cent".

13 July 2005
A coalition of organisations and MPs calling for a new climate law with annual CO2 cuts is formed. Over the next 12 months the coalition will grow enormously.

1 September 2005
The Stop Climate Chaos coalition is launched demanding urgent action on climate change.

1 September 2006
Conservative leader David Cameron shares a platform with Friends of the Earth director Tony Juniper and calls for a climate change law to be included in the next Queen's Speech.
380 MPs have so far signed EDM 178 [8).

Mid September 2006
Friends of the Earth launched a big push on the Climate Change Bill to target as many MPs as possible to get them to sign EDM 178 and to write to the Prime Minister calling for new legislation on climate change. Over the coming weeks 620 MPs (out of a total of 646 MPs) are lobbied personally by constituents who back The Big Ask campaign.

12 October 2006
David Miliband indicates that the Government will introduce legislation to tackle climate change.

30 October 2006
The Stern review warned of the huge economic costs of failing to tackle climate change. On the same day Environment Secretary David Miliband says that legislation will form a fundamental part of the UK's strategy to tackle climate change and address the issues raised by the Stern Review.

4 November 2006
Over 25,000 people attended the Stop Climate Chaos event in Trafalgar Square to call for urgent action on climate change - including a new law requiring annual cuts in carbon dioxide. This was the biggest climate change event ever in the UK.

8 November 2006
412 MPs have signed EDM 178 - 64 per cent of MPs overall, and a majority in every party sitting in Parliament.