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Queen's speech ignores climate change
17 May 2005
Today's Queen's Speech has been condemned by Friends of the Earth for ignoring climate change completely.
The Queen's Speech - one of the biggest ever with 50 Bills and draft Bills announced - includes no measures to restrict the emission of climate changing gases. This is despite Tony Blair describing climate change "the world's greatest environmental challenge" and "so far reaching in its impact and irreversible in its destructive power, that it alters radically human existence", and claiming it is a"top priority". [1]
Friends of the Earth Director Tony Juniper said
"It is time for action not words on climate change. We need a legal framework for year on year cuts in carbon dioxide emissions, and every year we delay makes it harder and harder to make the cuts on time. There are many specific legal changes needed to tackle climate change - changing energy markets, making houses more efficient, improving alternatives to car use and ensuring companies do their bit to stop climate change. The fact that not one of these is included in the Queen's Speech shows that that, despite all the talk, Labour will continue to ignore climate change and we could see further rises in emission in the next 4 years - just as we have since Labour came to power."
Note
[1]. 14 September 2004: Speech: www.number-10.gov.uk/output/page6333.asp
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jun 2008
