Home > Press releases > 1999
18 Oct 1999
Four of the UK's leading environmental groups have written to the Prime
Minister and nine senior Government ministers urging them to stick to
Labour's manifesto pledge to cut carbon dioxide levels by 20 per cent
by 2010 [1]. The letter - which coincides with a Government report,
published today[2], outlining the alarming global consequences of failing
to take action - expresses concern over recent Government “downplaying”
of its promised target. Senior ministers are understood to be meeting
this Wednesday to discuss the Government's climate change strategy ahead
of a major international conference on climate change (COP 5) later
this month in Bonn. A domestic strategy for dealing with climate change
is expected shortly.
In their letter, the Directors of the four organisations - Friends
of the Earth (FOE), the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF-UK),
Greenpeace and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
(RSPB) - complain that “unfortunately, in recent months, the
Government seems to have been downplaying the twenty per cent target.
For example, it was not emphasised in the Government's latest annual
report in July. On the contrary, that report stated that a "climate
change programme[should be prepared] to meet the UK's legally binding
target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 12.5% below the 1990
levels over the period 2008 to 2012". The Government also backs
away from the 20% target in the UK Climate Change Consultation Paper,
published by the DETR in October last year. It appears that the current
strategy is to achieve the Kyoto target, but that the 20%target is fast
becoming just an aspirational aim. In our view, this is inadequate both
as a response to climate change and because it fails to deliver on a
clear manifesto promise.”
The letter continues: “Given the importance of the issue and
the fact that inaction and reduced commitment at the national level
could weaken the United Kingdom's position on the international level,
it is vital that all ministers take a strong stance now and reaffirm
the validity and achievability of that aim.
“Already, the UK's environment and people are feeling the effects
of climate change. Moreover, it is clear that climate stabilisation
cannot be achieved by the policies and measures currently envisaged
by industrialised countries. Indeed, the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change has stated that to avert the worst impacts of climate
change, globally cuts of 60% in CO2 emissions must be achieved by 2050.”
NOTES
TO EDITORS:
[1] Letter attached/available on request
[2] The report is by the Met Office Hadley Centre. It was commissioned
by DETR.
Contact details:
Friends of the Earth
26-28 Underwood St.
LONDON
N1 7JQ
Tel: 020 7490 1555
Fax: 020 7490 0881
Web: www.foe.co.uk/feedback.html
Media team
