Minister's climate change announcement inadequate

Today's keynote speech on climate change by Environment Minister, Carwyn Jones, has been described as an inadequate response to the most important issue of the day by Friends of the Earth Cymru.

The Minister announced that the Assembly Government would require significant developments to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by ten per cent.

Gordon James of Friends of the Earth Cymru commented:

"We welcome the measure that the Minister has announced today but, on its own, it is an inadequate response to the crises of climate change.

"We urgently need a package of radical policies that will quickly reverse the continuing rise in carbon dioxide emissions.

"The Assembly Government ought to set year-on-year reduction targets for carbon dioxide emissions and appoint a cabinet minister to ensure that policies are introduced to achieve reductions soon.

Friends of the Earth's "Big Ask" climate campaign, which is supported by over 400 MPs, is calling for governments to set targets to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by at least three per cent every year.

Gordon James continued,

"We have had today just one small step in the right direction when we clearly have to make major strides forward if we are to overcome the biggest challenge we face this century. More than ever, we need courageous politicians who are prepared to take radical action to ensure our children and grandchildren have a future on this planet. We have not seen much evidence of that yet in Wales."

According to Friends of the Earth Cymru, scientific evidence is showing that changes to the climate as a result of human activity are happening sooner and are more severe than anticipated . In particular, the group points to evidence that the global climate might be close to tipping points beyond which abrupt and irreversible climatic changes are likely.