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Election 2010 Election 2010

Government responds to coal campaigning

Last year more than 6,000 Tearfund supporters signed postcards, letters and SuperBadger actions calling for the UK government to say no to new unabated coal-fired power stations.

Coal-fired power stations are the dirtiest form of energy production.

Ensuring no new power stations are built without technology to capture and store the emissions is vital in the fight to tackle climate change.

The actions were delivered to Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. His response is below.

Tearfund welcomes the Secretary of State’s response as a clear step forward in reducing the UK’s emissions.

However, carbon capture and storage remains an unproven technology at anything like the scale needed. We simply can’t say with confidence that this is going to work.

Whilst this is welcome progress, it is vital that the government goes further by pushing for greater energy efficiency and renewable energy rather than a continuing reliance on coal.

Take action and pray for the UK government to work for a strong and fair deal on climate change here.

 
Ed Miliband's response to coal actions 

Dear friends

 

I wanted to write to say thank you.

 

Over the last year, groups like Tearfund changed the politics of coal, and made change possible.

 

6,000 of you wrote in to oppose coal without carbon capture and storage. In April, I could announce new proposals to say no new coal without CCS, and an early commitment to retrofit so we don’t get high-carbon lock-in. They are the toughest coal conditions of any country in the world, something we can be justly proud of, and it couldn’t have happened without you.

 

Now we have a new challenge, bigger and more difficult than coal: the global deal. It’s a make-or-break time for the planet, and if it is left to politicians alone, or if it is left until 3am on the last night in December, we won’t succeed. I need your help now.

 

I’ve published our manifesto for the negotiations – our argument for a global deal. We’re sending 20,000 copies to schools and other public institutions around the country.

 

I hope you’ll join the debate, have a look at our proposals, and make the case for a global deal that matches the science.

 

Best wishes

Ed Miliband


This page was last updated on 20 July 2009

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We are Christians passionate about the local church bringing justice and transforming lives - overcoming global poverty.
So our ten-year vision is to see 50 million people released from material and spiritual poverty through a worldwide network of 100,000 local churches.

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