2008

Call to strengthen Climate Bill
9 October 2008

An independent committee set up to advise the Government on climate change has called for the Climate Change Bill to be strengthened.

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) - itself set up as part of the Climate Change Bill - has advised the Government to:

Raise the target in the Bill
from 60% to at least 80% cut in greenhouse gases by 2050.
Include emissions from all sectors
The UK's aviation and shipping emissions must count towards the 80% target.

The CCC does not recommend that the UK's aviation and shipping emissions have targets set for them.

But it says if cuts aren't made there, biggers cuts will need to be made in other sectors.

This is great news - and comes after years of campaigning for these changes by Friends of the Earth.

The Government - and Conservative opposition - have repeatedly said that they wanted to wait until the CCC reported before changing the Bill.

They must now listen to the CCC and strengthen the Bill.

MPs will suggest and vote for changes to the Climate Change Bill at the "Report Stage" vote, due in the next few weeks.

This is the last chance for MPs to make these vital changes.

This is also your best chance to influence how your MP votes on the Climate Change Bill.

We must keep up the pressure on MPs to make sure that they vote for the changes that we - and the Committee on Climate Change - are calling for.