Archived press release

Blair must set tough climate pollution caps for industry

27 April 2004

Tony Blair must do more to show he is serious about tackling climate change Friends of the Earth said today. He should start by ensuring that the Government stands firm on setting tough caps on industrial emissions of carbon dioxide. The call follows today's speech on climate change by the Prime Minister [1].

Despite Tony Blair's acceptance that "climate change is the most important environmental issue facing the world today" [2], UK levels of carbon dioxide, the principle greenhouse gas, are only 0.2 per cent lower than when Labour came to power.

Next week a Government announcement is expected on the amount of industrial carbon dioxide pollution that will be allowed under the EU emissions trading scheme. Industry has been lobbying for the proposals to be watered down and the Government is expected to backtrack on the `carbon caps' published in draft earlier this year.

In the draft plan the Government conceded that new policies would be needed to meet its 20 per cent carbon dioxide reduction target by 2010 (based on 1990 levels), predicting that only a 16.3 per cent reduction would be likely [3]. It is widely feared that even this pessimistic forecast has been watered down after pressure from industry for more generous allowances.

Friends of the Earth's director Tony Juniper said:

“The Prime Minister claims there should be no automatic trade off between the environment and the economy, however the message he receives everyday from the CBI and business groups is that action to fight threats like climate change is bad for the economy and bad for business.

“The response of Government is often to weaken environmental proposals. If Tony Blair really believes that climate change is the most important environmental issue facing the world today he must bring the DTI into line with his own views and announce a tough emissions trading scheme next week and stand up to the fossil fuel industry”

Notes

1. The PM spoke at the Climate Group launch bringing together companies; financial institutions; civil organisations; and state city and national governments to work together to accelerate greenhouse gas emission reductions.

2. Climate Group press release 27/4/04.

3. Carbon dioxide levels are currently only 7.5 per cent below 1990 levels.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust