Archived press release

MPs rock with Johnny Borrell at climate gig

27 May 2008

Razorlight front man Johnny Borrell has found an improbable `support group' in the form of five professional politicians.

The musical MPs will join rocker Johnny for a one-off gig to back the final stage of The Big Ask - Friends of the Earth's climate change campaign - on 3 June 2008.

The unlikely five-piece - which includes Lib Dem MP Lembit Opik - will ditch party divisions to highlight Government plans to leave the UK's share of aviation emissions out of the new climate change law at the one-off event in the Aviation Room of London's Science Museum.

The group - dubbed `The Aviators' for the occasion - includes Anne Milton (Con), Emily Thornberry (Lab), Ian Cawsey (Lab) and Lembit Opik (Lib Dem) and will be led by the only MP to have played on Top of the Pops, ex-Runrig band member Peter Wishart (SNP).

To urge fellow MPs to vote for the inclusion of international aviation and shipping emissions in the Climate Change Bill, currently going through Parliament, the band will belt out a rendition of John Denver's classic, `Leaving on a Jet Plane'.

The UK will soon have a new Climate Change Law to reduce emissions year on year thanks to the hundreds of thousands of people who have lobbied their MP through The Big Ask campaign. The final stage of The Big Ask is calling for the new law to cover all emissions and commit the UK to cutting carbon dioxide by at least 80 percent by 2050 - the level scientists say is needed.

Martyn Williams, Friends of the Earth's climate campaigner, said: "It's plane unfair for all other sectors of the economy to play their part whilst the UK's share of aviation and shipping remain outside the law.

"Johnny and our five intrepid MPs are taking to the stage to ensure our world-first climate law includes all of our emissions."

Lembit Opik MP said: "Hundreds of my constituents have contacted me about The Big Ask campaign and I think it would be a great travesty to repay them with a law too weak to be compatible with stopping climate change. All other sectors of the economy will have to play their part in the fight against climate change, and aviation should be no exception."

Peter Wishart, MP commented: "As a group, we're hardly Johnny's most rock 'n' roll support act, but this is a gig with a very clear political point. We're ditching party
divisions to literally sing from the same hymn sheet, taking to the stage to call for aviation emissions to be included in the new climate change law."

Emily Thornberry, MP added: "The Government's new climate change law will put Britain at the forefront of efforts to tackle global warming. But if we don't reduce emissions from aviation, we're not going to get to grips with the problem. If we are serious about making the UK a pioneering low carbon economy, we must commit to incorporating aviation emissions in our reduction targets."

Anne Milton, MP concluded: ""There is growing cross party concern at the omission of aviation in the Climate Change Bill. The Government must listen and include these missing emissions from the start."

Notes

The Big Ask campaign, launched in 2005 by Friends of the Earth, has successfully persuaded the Government to introduce a Climate Change Bill after being backed by tens of thousands of supporters. The Bill, which is currently being debated in Parliament before being made law later this year, will make the UK the first country in the world to commit to legally binding reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. The Bill is groundbreaking but it still needs to be strengthened if the UK is going to play its part in tackling climate change. Friends of the Earth is calling on Government and MPs to ensure the law covers all emissions, including the UK's share of emissions from international aviation and shipping and to introduce an overall target for cutting the UK's carbon dioxide emissions by 80 percent by 2050 - the level of emissions reductions which scientists say are needed. For more information and to take action visit www.thebigask.com .

A briefing paper on international aviation and shipping emissions and the Climate Change Bill is available at: www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/why_the_governments_carbon.pdf(PDF†)

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If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust