Polar Bears and supporters of I Count, the campaign of Stop Climate Chaos, visited Downing Street today to hand in 150,000 petition cards demanding the UK Government does all it can to tackle climate change. The visit comes as Environment Secretary Hilary Benn delivered a disappointing response to a public consultation on the Climate Change Bill.
The I Count delegation to Downing Street aims to draw attention to the shortfalls in the draft Climate Change Bill. The visit marks the beginning of a six month campaign which will see climate change campaigners all over the country lobby their MP to ensure a Climate Change law is passed which works.
Anita Payne, who has worked with Tearfund in Malawi and Liberia, was one of the five visiting Downing Street this morning. Says Anita, “Poor communities around the world are already at the sharp end of climate change, with flooded homes, increasingly barren and drought-hit land. I’ve seen the effects for myself in Africa when I was with Tearfund helping local churches to respond to recent droughts.”
She adds, “I'm here at Downing Street today because I believe that God requires us to love justice and live justly. We need to be good stewards of God’s earth and good neighbours to each other, not pushing poorer people into deeper poverty but living more sustainably, for everyone’s benefit.”
In a separate event at Kew Gardens earlier today, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn announced changes to the proposed Climate Change Bill, in response to a public consultation on the draft legislation. However Rachel Roach, Tearfund’s Climate Change Adviser, believes these changes still fall short of what’s required for a robust climate change law.
Says Rachel Roach, “While today’s changes are a step in the right direction, the government has failed to take the bold steps required to seriously tackle climate change. While the Government proposes a 60% cut in carbon emissions by 2050, the legislation must adopt the widely accepted 2 degrees global warming danger threshold and cut carbon dioxide emissions by at least 80% by 2050."
She adds, “This Bill is a major opportunity for the UK to demonstrate international leadership but at the moment the Government’s credibility is in question. They say they support the two degrees target but are failing to translate their words into action. Bold action and strong leadership are required in the lead up to international climate change talks in December.”
The Climate Change Bill will be introduced to Parliament in the Queen’s Speech on November 6th and be the first of its kind in the world. The first draft of the legislation was introduced by the Government in March following pressure from I Count and other climate campaigners. The Bill is likely to receive its second reading in December before being voted on by MPs in Spring 2008.
During the crucial next six months, I Count supporters will be lobbying their MPs to ensure the UK delivers a bold Bill in line with the UK’s fair share of the international effort to prevent exceeding the global warming danger threshold of 2 degrees.
Specifically, the Government must
- Increase the carbon dioxide reduction target, from 60% to at least 80% by 2050.
- Ensure that emissions from international aviation & shipping are included in the reduction targets.
- Set binding carbon budgets with annual milestones, to make sure that emissions reductions are on track.
Groups will be collaborating on lobbying activity through the I Count Community Groups Map, an online networking tool (www.icount.org.uk/groupsmap) launched in September 2007 with 350 groups. The number of groups joining to host themselves on the site has risen to 450 so far and this is set to increase as word spreads.
The Stop Climate Chaos coalition, of which Tearfund is a member, comprises international development, environment and faith-based NGOs, as well as women’s organisations, trade unions and community groups.