Archived press release

Prince of Wales' climate speech welcomed

14 February 2008

The Prince of Wales' speech on climate change today to the European Parliament has been warmly welcomed by Friends of the Earth.

The environmental campaign group congratulated the Prince for highlighting the scale of the climate challenge that the world faces, his call for urgent action - comparable with going on a war-footing - and his recognition that government action to develop a low-carbon economic and political framework is essential if the world is to successfully combat the threat. His call for countries to be paid to protect forests - "this vital global utility" - was also welcomed.

Friends of the Earth director Tony Juniper said:

"The Prince of Wales has today raised issues of urgent importance that demand immediate political action. We are fast drifting towards a climatic disaster that could lead to humanitarian catastrophe, economic recession and dramatic environmental change. And while the resources and ingenuity to tackle climate change exist, we still lack the political will to make real changes to how we live, meet our needs and run our economies. Climate change is the biggest threat the planet faces; urgent action, similar to being on a war-footing, is now required to tackle it.

"The EU and other governments must respond by placing climate change at the heart of policy-making. This will give businesses the certainty that they need to invest in a low-carbon economy, and make it cheaper and easier for people to go green. The UK Government must also raise its game on this issue. Carbon dioxide emissions have risen under Labour, despite its promise of significant cuts. The Climate Change Bill is a welcome initiative, but it must be strengthened. It must ensure that UK emissions are cut by 80 per cent by 2050 and include Britain's share of international aviation and shipping emissions."

As well as strengthening its Climate Change Bill (which Friends of the Earth has led the campaign for), the environment group also called on the UK Government to put tackling climate change at the heart of next month's Budget [1].

Friends of the Earth congratulated the Prince of Wales on his speech for:

Highlighting the scale of the challenge that the planet faces

The Prince of Wales said:

"In the last few months we have learnt that the North Polar ice cap is melting so fast that some scientists are predicting that in seven years it will completely disappear in Summer. Others think it will take a little longer. But the mere fact that such a development is conceivable at all is, you would have thought, yet another wake up call as we sleepwalk our way towards the edge of catastrophe."

Calling for urgent action, comparable with being put on a war-footing

"If military policy has long been based on the dictum that we should be prepared for the worst case, should it be so different when the security is that of the planet and our long term future?"

"We cannot be anything less than courageous and revolutionary in our approach to tackling climate change. If we are not, the result will be catastrophe for all of us, but with the poorest in our world hit hardest of all. In this sense, it is surely comparable to war. The question is do we, as a world community, have the resolve to wage it?"

Recognizing the need for governments to take a lead by developing a low-carbon political and economic framework

"I can tell you that there is a genuine determination amongst many companies to show real leadership on climate change. But what many of them have told me is that while a market-based approach can influence behavioural change, up to a point, these mechanisms cannot be expected to deliver solutions by themselves. They tell me that a proper framework is required, with governments setting consistent long-term policies and providing responsible and equitable regulation."

Launching a new initiative to tackle tropical deforestation by mobilizing the financial resources needed to pay developing countries to protect globally important national assets

"The problem for too many of us is that deforestation is out of sight and out of mind. The simple fact is that if we do not pay the countries who are the custodians of this vital global utility for the essential services they provide the forests will continue to be cut down and global warming will continue to accelerate. So this problem isn't someone else's that will have to be addressed in the future. It is ours and it must be addressed now. We must start to pay for the services that these great forests provide to us."

Notes

[1] The call for a Climate Change Bill has been led by Friends of the Earth through The Big Ask campaign (www.thebigask.com), which was launched in 2005. The Bill is currently passing through Parliament. It will require legally-binding cuts in UK emissions of 60 per cent by 2050. Friends of the Earth says that the bill should be strengthened to require 80 per cent carbon dioxide cuts by 2050, and include Britain's share of international shipping and aviation emissions.

Friends of the Earth is also calling on the Chancellor to introduce a range of measures to cut Britain's carbon footprint in next month's Budget.

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