Energy security should not be basis for new climate bill
-16/11/06
Christian Aid has w
Energy security should not be basis for new climate bill
-16/11/06
Christian Aid has welcomed yesterdays announcement that there is to be a climate bill in this Parliamentary session, but said that the overwhelming rationale for it had to be to stop the harm global warming was wreaking on millions of poor people.
“Itís great to have the government focussing on climate change but the catastrophe of greenhouse gas emissions is not just about whether the UK has enough fossil fuel. Itís about the lives and livelihoods of millions of vulnerable people in developing countries,” said Christian Aidís senior climate analyst Andrew Pendleton speaking from the UN Climate Conference in Nairobi.
“If the bill is only underpinned by a desire to hoard fuel stocks then we fear that it will lack the teeth it needs to bring down urgently the dangerous greenhouse gas emissions that impact so savagely on poor peoplesí lives,” he said.
Mr Pendleton also reacted to leaks suggesting the new climate bill will contain a watchdog body to scrutinise Britainís progress on cutting greenhouse gas emissions,
“This is a good idea but a test of the governmentís acknowledgement that Britainís emissions harm poor people on the other side of the world would be to include a direct representative of poor people on this body.
“If anyone has a right to have a say in how fast we should cut our emissions in the UK, it must be poor people who suffer from it most but who have done least to cause global warming,” he said.
He also said that the billís provisions to check annual progress of emissions cuts should be stronger than the five-year checks on progress hinted at by the government so far.
“Measurable annual targets are the most effective mechanism for ensuring the government keeps to its word.
“It is simply too dangerous to name a vague date in the future which, on current form, the government is unlikely to meet. Climate change imposes a duty on all of us to make real and substantive cuts now and in the long term. To legislate otherwise would be to risk the lives of millions of the worldís most vulnerable people.” said Pendleton.
“The government needs urgently to commit to measurable annual targets so we can be sure it will keep to its word.”
Energy security should not be basis for new climate bill
-16/11/06
Christian Aid has welcomed yesterdays announcement that there is to be a climate bill in this Parliamentary session, but said that the overwhelming rationale for it had to be to stop the harm global warming was wreaking on millions of poor people.
“Itís great to have the government focussing on climate change but the catastrophe of greenhouse gas emissions is not just about whether the UK has enough fossil fuel. Itís about the lives and livelihoods of millions of vulnerable people in developing countries,” said Christian Aidís senior climate analyst Andrew Pendleton speaking from the UN Climate Conference in Nairobi.
“If the bill is only underpinned by a desire to hoard fuel stocks then we fear that it will lack the teeth it needs to bring down urgently the dangerous greenhouse gas emissions that impact so savagely on poor peoplesí lives,” he said.
Mr Pendleton also reacted to leaks suggesting the new climate bill will contain a watchdog body to scrutinise Britainís progress on cutting greenhouse gas emissions,
“This is a good idea but a test of the governmentís acknowledgement that Britainís emissions harm poor people on the other side of the world would be to include a direct representative of poor people on this body.
“If anyone has a right to have a say in how fast we should cut our emissions in the UK, it must be poor people who suffer from it most but who have done least to cause global warming,” he said.
He also said that the billís provisions to check annual progress of emissions cuts should be stronger than the five-year checks on progress hinted at by the government so far.
“Measurable annual targets are the most effective mechanism for ensuring the government keeps to its word.
“It is simply too dangerous to name a vague date in the future which, on current form, the government is unlikely to meet. Climate change imposes a duty on all of us to make real and substantive cuts now and in the long term. To legislate otherwise would be to risk the lives of millions of the worldís most vulnerable people.” said Pendleton.
“The government needs urgently to commit to measurable annual targets so we can be sure it will keep to its word.”