Commenting on a new report by MPs, published today (Wednesday 18 April 2012), which calls for Government openness about the impact that UK consumption is having on the world’s climate, Friends of the Earth’s Head of Campaigns Andrew Pendleton said:

“One of the main reasons why nations such as China have soaring carbon emissions is because they are making goods to sell to rich Western countries – this report highlights the UK’s role in creating this pollution.

“The Government can’t continue to turn a blind eye to the damaging impact that our hunger for overseas products has on our climate – we need to tackle the problem, not shift it abroad.

“Ministers must come up with a strategy to ensure we cut all the emissions pumped out on our behalf - beginning with a requirement on firms to reveal the real climate impact of all their products.

“Far more must also be done to reduce the damage our purchasing choices have on all the planet’s precious resources, such as forests and water - the impact of UK consumption goes far wider than just climate change.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1.                   The new report by the Energy and Climate Change Committee is called Consumption Based Emissions Reporting: www.parliament.uk/ecc