What the Government should do to tackle climate change

Friends of the Earth has published a new report What the Government should do to tackle climate change (PDF - 815K). It forms our submission to the current review of the UK's climate change policy programme.

Urgent action is needed to avert an ecological disaster so far-reaching in its impact and irreversible in its destructive power, it radically alters human existence

Tony Blair, UK Prime Minister on climate change

Looking back...

In 2000 Government published its Climate Change Programme. This was a plan for a 20% reduction in carbon dioxide (CO₂) - a dangerous climate changing gas - emissions by 2010.

But in November 2004 the Government was forced to admit that the UK is well off track. In light of this failure Friends of the Earth believes a complete overhaul of the programme is now needed.

...going forward

In the report we call on the Government to begin treating carbon dioxide emissions as seriously as the economy by introducing:

An annual CO₂ emissions budget
Reduction targets for different sectors of the economy (eg transport)
New ways to gain control over emissions

Read the full report

What the Government should do to tackle climate change (PDF† - 815K) February 2005
Friends of the Earth's submission to the current review of the UK's climate change policy programme.

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