Lib Dems: Labour failing on climate change
The Liberal Democrats are accusing the Government of failing to tackle climate change following the publication of new figures on carbon dioxide emissions.
Statistics released by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs show that carbon dioxide emissions have increased by three per cent since Labour came to power in 1997.
Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Norman Baker said the figures mean the UK had “little hope” of reaching the target of a 20 per cent reduction of CO2 emissions by 2010 and “may actually miss our targets under the Kyoto protocol”.
Prime Minister Tony Blair has pledged to make tackling climate change a key part of Britain’s presidencies of the G8 and the EU, after describing it in a speech as the “world’s greatest environmental challenge”.
But according to Defra’s figures provisional estimates for 2004, emissions of all greenhouse gases increased by one per cent last year.
Mr Baker said this latest increase “shows the failure of Labour’s strategy for tackling climate change.”
He added: “The problem is that none of Labour’s policies actually inspire any confidence that these trends will be reversed, as all the indicators on energy and transport are going in the wrong direction.”
Earlier this week, the Government launched a new rural climate change forum to tackle climate change in rural areas.
Announcing the new forum, Environment Minister Elliot Morley said: “Climate change is this Government’s highest priority long-term issue. We need every sector of society, whether urban or rural, to play a part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and in preparing for the changes which are already inevitable.”
