Archived press release

'Mind the gap' - Miliband must take a lead at Nairobi climate talks

14 November 2006

PRESS RELEASE FROM FRIENDS OF THE EARTH, GREENPEACE AND WWF

As UK Environment Secretary David Miliband arrives at the UN climate change negotiations in Nairobi today (Tuesday), leading UK environment groups called on him to inject much needed urgency and ambition into the discussions.

Campaigners from Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and WWF said that the momentum generated at last year's climate change summit in Montreal is running into the sand at Nairobi. However, time is not on our side.

The first Kyoto Protocol commitment period ends in 2012, and the world's governments must ensure that no gap is left before the next round of targets come into force. Failure to achieve this would deliver a devastating blow to the effort to avoid dangerous climate change - it would also cripple the emerging carbon markets and efforts to help the worlds poorest nations adapt to the impacts of climate change.

To ensure there is no gap between commitment periods under Kyoto, it is vital that international agreement is reached by 2008. This means that governments in Nairobi must agree to a formal negotiating mandate at the next summit in 2007.

"Tony Blair accepts that we have only 10-15 years to avoid catastrophic climate change," said Keith Allott, Head of Climate Change at WWF-UK. "The UN negotiations and the Kyoto framework are the only show in town to achieve this goal - and the UK Government must lead the world out of the current deadlock"

"Just two weeks ago the Stern Report made clear that urgent global action is needed to head off the devastating human, environmental and economic impacts of climate change,", said Catherine Pearce, international climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth. "So far in Nairobi we have seen precious little sense of urgency, even from the UK and EU. David Miliband has to inject that message of urgency into the negotiations - and ensure that we are on track to reach a new agreement in 2008."

"At Nairobi developing countries are looking to the UK and EU to show genuine leadership", said Greenpeace climate change campaign director Charlie Kronick. "David Miliband must restore their trust in the Kyoto process by pressing for ambitious cuts in emissions from industrialised countries of 30 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020. He must also make crystal clear that the EU and UK are fully committed to the existing framework of absolute, binding emission targets for industrialised countries."

Campaigners added that the UK Government must also show its commitment to action at home by ensuring that a climate change bill, expected to be announced in tomorrow's Queen's Speech (Wednesday 15th), includes annual targets for cuts in CO2.

Climate Talks - Nairobi (PDF†)

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust