Why scrapping the Climate Change Act would be one of the biggest let-downs ever

Nicky Stocks

18 April 2011

Joining Friends of the Earth back in 2007 felt like a dream come true for me. It wasn't that I was a natural-born tree hugger or a life-long eco enthusiast.

It was my growing feeling of fear and powerlessness over climate change and the fact that Friends of the Earth had a proper plan to tackle it - a plan that was actually being taking seriously.

The idea for 2008's Climate Change Act came from Friends of the Earth. It would legally require whoever was running the country to act to prevent dangerous climate change instead of ignoring it, denying it was happening or leaving it up to someone else.

When I started working here, we were well on the way to turning this idea into a reality thanks to some inspired campaigning and high-profile support. I was most impressed working with Radiohead's Thom Yorke but could see that the backing of David Cameron - then leader of the Opposition - was politically powerful.

This week the Government unveiled a list of laws it's considering axing. Among them is the Climate Change Act. Apparently it's an exercise to massively reduce the number of rules and regulations that treat normal people like idiots, although it automatically discounts anything concerning tax and national security. (My colleague Liz explains more here.)

Back in 2006 David Cameron said that the Climate Change Act would be remembered long after he's gone. Let's hope it'll be remembered because it did the job it set out to and helped keep our climate safe, not because it prompted one of his Government's infamous u-turns.

Nicky Stocks, Communications & Media Team