Climate change: winning the debate
Updated on 12 March 2007
The Labour and Conservative politicians are battling to win the debate on how to deal with climate change.
The environment will undoubtedly be a key battleground in the next general election. Major national and international policy initiatives on climate change are now a regular occurrence.
The problem with climate change is that action ultimately means asking voters to change their ways.
Last week saw two significant developments in the environmental debate. The shadow chancellor, George Osborne, proposed a range of measures to curb aviation emissions. And on Thursday EU member states agreed to adopt binding targets on the use of renewable energy.
The debate continues unabated this week. Today George Brown and David Cameron, the probable leaders of Britain's two main political parties come the next election, are due to make important speeches on environmental issues ahead of tomorrow's launch of the climate change bill. The bill will make statutory the government's plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in this country by 60% before 2050.
The problem with climate change, though, is that effective action ultimately means asking voters to change their ways, to abandon well-established habits and, in effect, to act against their own self-interest so that future generations may benefit. It's a tough ask for any political party. That's why politicians in power are so frequently accused of merely talking the talk.
So what are Cameron and Brown likely to say today? Here are some of the key points they will be making today, together with the responses from others involved in the debate.
Gordon Brown will -
- Call for a "new world order" to combat climate change
- Urge United Nations to prioritise the fight against global warming
- Highlight the role of the UK in setting new EU standards on carbon dioxide emissions
- Say that harnessing the desire of citizens and communities to help in tackling climate change is the only way to achieve carbon reductions in a fair way
- Attack the Tories' ability to tackle green issues because of their perceived euroscepticism - the implication being that the UK can only achieve significant progress on environmental issues in a European context
- Attack Tory plans to tax frequent flyers as ill-conceived and unworkable
- Not enjoy the backing of former Labour environment minister Michael Meacher, who has already criticised the climate change bill for its lack of an "explicit strategy" to deliver 60% cuts (in carbon dioxide emissions) by 2050
David Cameron will -
- Call on the government to set annual emissions targets in the climate change bill
- Stress that any environmental measures must have real bite - "they're not just greenwash"
- Build on the launch last week of George Osborne's Greener Skies consultation paper, proposing a range of new aviation taxes (offset by tax cuts in other areas) to ramp up flying costs
- Enjoy the support of the Green Alliance - who, in fact, are hosting Gordon Brown's speech this afternoon. GA director Stephen Hale has said that the Tories' aviation plans are more radical than the government's and that David Cameron is "a good thing"
- Enjoy the support of Friends of the Earth director Tony Juniper, who has said of aviation pollution that "It's vital we get to grips with it."
