Wales must take a lead role after failure of Copenhagen

20 December 2009

Wales must take a lead role in cutting greenhouse gas emissions following the failure of the Copenhagen climate change summit, according to Friends of the Earth Cymru.

The director of the environmental campaigning group, Gordon James, said:

"The Copenhagen climate change summit has failed to deliver an agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Hopenhagen has become Brokenhagen.

"Some world leaders are talking about the feeble accord that it produced as being just the beginning of the process. They are strolling from the changing rooms onto the field of play ignoring the fact that this game has been going on since world governments agreed to prevent dangerous climate change at the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992. Progress since then has been abysmal with both emissions and global temperatures rising.

"The scientific evidence is showing that we cannot wait for a global agreement. Individual nations and regions must show the way in cutting emissions and reap the benefits of the green economy in the process.

"Some, such as Arnold Schwarzenneger in California, have already taken a strong lead and Wales is also ahead of the game. The Welsh Assembly's recent decision to set a target of cutting emissions by 40%, from 1990 levels, by 2020 is an important step in the right direction. To achieve it though will require stronger policies than the ones that are currently on the table."

For further information, please contact Friends of the Earth Cymru on 029 2022 9577