Huhne highlights climate threat

1 December 2007

Chris Huhne MP is spokesman on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for the Liberal Party. He is also a candidate for leadership of the party. Katie Elliott went to check his green credentials.

How high on your list of priorities is the environment?

The environment is the absolute key challenge for our time. Climate change is the greatest threat that we face, bar none.

We've only had 0.7 degree global warming so far. I think we have our work cut out to limit global warming to within the danger level of two degrees.

Do you think the Lib Dems greeness has been an electoral help or hindrance?

It helps. At the moment public opinion does not view tackling this issue as a key priority.

If you see what has occurred with drought in Australia it had a dramatic effect on public opinion. What had been a fairly minor issue in terms how people voted suddenly became important.

It didn't avail John Howard because people realised it was too late a conversion and he was swept out of power.

The Liberal Democrats have put forward the most comprehensive plans for dealing with climate change. That puts us in an extremely good position when that big shift happens here, as it will.

I think it is a real lesson to political parties that they need to take this issue very seriously.

Chris Huhne MP, Eastleigh.

Are you the greenest candidate?

Yes, because I've got a long-standing belief that sustainability is absolutely crucial.

I saw what happened in villages in Tanzania in the early 1980s. Villagers were growing food for their families and they gradually exhausted the land. There was a process of encroaching desertification.

There is nothing that brought home to me more the importance of looking after natural systems. Natural systems have thresholds and if you cross them you destroy them.

Ever since then I have been very aware of sustainability as an issue.

Do you think the Climate Change Bill is strong enough in its current format?

No. I think that there a number of real problems with it. I think we need to at least an 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

At the rate things are changing the most sensible target to aim at is zero carbon by 2050.

Do you support our campaign for annual cuts in carbon dioxide levels?

I think that the idea of five year carbon budgets as opposed to clear annual benchmarks is simply mistaken.

We need to hold ministers to account on a more regular basis than once every five years.

Chris Huhne MP, Eastleigh.

What else should the Bill include?

The Bill does not include a commitment to deal with all greenhouse gases, only carbon dioxide. It doesn't include methane, or some of the other high-powered greenhouse gases.

It does not include a commitment to take onboard international aviation and shipping. Clearly our share on aviation and shipping ought to be in there.

How will you support the Bill in the House of Commons?

We have put forward a whole series of amendments to the Bill in the Lords. We will also press those amendments in the Commons.

I am optimistic that the Conservatives will support us. I think we will have support from a number of green labour rebels too.

What steps do you take to cut down on your own carbon emissions?

Our home in the constituency is pretty eco-friendly. We have micro gen, we've got a wind turbine. It has cavity wall insulation and double glazing. We have low-energy using appliances.

I try to use public transport where possible. My constituency is a suburban area. It's pretty inevitable that I have to use the car to get around.

When I fly, which occasionally I have to, I offset the carbon with Climate Care. We're pretty aware of our carbon footprint and do try and get it down.

I drive a Toyota Prius, a hybrid, which is one of the most energy efficient cars around.

Chris Huhne MP, Eastleigh.

I'm not saying that I'm perfect and couldn't do more.

What more can be done?

We're obviously in a period of transition towards a really low carbon economy. It is crucial that we have the incentives in place to move all of the economy in that direction.

Listen to the full interview (MP3).

More information

To find out more about Chris Huhne visit his website.

Images © Alex Phillips/Friends of the Earth

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