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Government's Fine Words Must Now Be Put Into Practice

Apr 21 2004

Friends of the Earth welcomed today's promise by Environment Secretary, Margaret Beckett to 'take on' the challenge of sustainable development but said the Government's commitment to tackling climate change must be backed up policies at home and abroad [1].

Speaking at the launch of the Government's Sustainable Development Strategy, Mrs Beckett reaffirmed that climate change was top of the domestic agenda and also announced a joint study with Development Secretary Hilary Benn of the impact of climate change on Africa.

While Friends of the Earth welcomed the study, the environmental organisation said that key government decisions being made over the coming months will have a greater impact on Africa than a wealth of new studies. Mrs Beckett and Mr Benn must:

• 'take on' industry and approve tough targets to cut emissions from power plants and factories, as part of the UK's implementation of the EU emissions trading scheme;

• 'take on' Alistair Darling in the Department for Transport and tell him that forecast aviation growth will jeopardise the Government's future emissions targets and must be prevented;

The Government must also explain how plans to open up Africa to oil exploitation by transnational corporations, revealed in a memo from the US Secretary of Energy to President George W Bush on the US UK Energy Dialogue[2], fit in with the strategy for tackling climate change.

The memo states: "The US and UK governments share wit their business sectors a concern that the investment regimes in these key territories should remain sufficiently attractive for foreign investment to realize the full potential of their oil and gas sectors".

Friends of the Earth Director Tony Juniper said:

"If the Government is serious about taking on sustainable development, they must apply the rhetoric to all their policies. And this means tackling the business lobby on emissions at home and on their plans for investments overseas. At home, emissions are rising. Abroad, British companies are rushing to develop the last remaining oil and gas reserves. Fine words are all very well but they will not solve the problems of climate change."

Notes

[1] A two to three degree rise in global temperatures is estimated to lead to 50-120 millions more people being at risk of hunger, many in Africa.

[2] Copies of the memo on the US UK Energy Dialogue are available from the press office at Friends of the Earth.

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