Greens call on Blair to clarify climate change position
25 September 2005
The Green Party today demanded the Prime Minister to make clear his position on climate change at the beginning of the Labour Party Conference after comments emerged which indicated he was moving away from his commitment to the Kyoto treaty and targets for reducing carbon emissions.
His comments put a focus on technology led solutions to climate change, bringing the UK more in line with the policies of the Bush administration.
Green Party Principal Speaker Keith Taylor commented:
"This backtracking by the Prime Minister is disgraceful. All major environmental groups reject technology based solutions alone as being totally inadequate to deal with the threat of climate change, even Blair's own climate change minister - Elliot Morley - agrees with this."
"It beggars belief that Blair can put climate change at the forefront of the agenda for the G8 Summit, and then, merely months later, he can totally change the thrust of his policy, without even discussing it with the public or his own party."
"This is a crucial time in terms of climate change, scientists agree that we are reaching a 'tipping point'; we need radical action now. Britain is about to fail to meet its Kyoto targets because under the Labour government pollution levels have actually risen. This situation is totally unacceptable."
"What our leaders don't seem to comprehend is that climate change is unlike any other issue, there is a shrinking window of opportunity where we can begin to genuinely deal with this issue and the only way to do this is to bring carbon emissions down, now."
"The Prime Minister has swapped taking positive action to tackle global warming for another chance to cosy up to George Bush's world view. By abandoning treaties and targets he is betraying this and future generations chances to arrest climate change. Once more he has been tested, once more he's found sorely wanting."
ENDS
