Latest Channel 4 News:
Weak pound hits foreign travel
Most sick days taken on a Monday
Fast-track nuclear plants unveiled
US pilots killed in Iraq crash
Berlin Wall collapse celebrated

Gordon finally 'gets' climate change

Updated on 19 November 2007

By Julian Rush

Gordon Brown's critics have often accused him of not understanding climate change. Is the prime minister about to prove them wrong?

For a man of whom it has often been said by green activists that he just doesn't get the environment, Gordon Brown's rhetoric today suggested he does now understand both the global scale and urgency of climate change.

For the first time, the prime minister acknowledged the growing evidence that the world's targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions may be set too low.

The new climate bill was to have enshrined in legislation a cut of 60 per cent in British emissions by 2050.

Now the scientists on the committee who will advise government on the rolling targets needed to get there will be asked to see if it should be set much tighter, at 80 per cent.

Send this article by email


Watch the Latest Channel 4 News

Watch Channel 4 News when you want

Latest Environment news

7-day catch-up

Watch Channel 4 News when you want to, from the last week.

Snowclouds

See how many times a word is used in key speeches, and in what context.

Twittering on

Start following Channel 4 News on Twitter today.

Click to launch.

Week in pictures

credit: Reuters

A selection of the best pictures from around the world.




Channel 4 © 2009. Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of external websites.