UK Green Euro MP, Jean Lambert has today called on the UK Government for ‘a greater, more focused commitment, instead of ‘push-me, pull-you policies,’ to tackle our greatest threat – climate change, ahead of the launch of the Climate Change Bill tomorrow (Tuesday 13th March).
As Green MEP for London, where at 37% levels of damaging emissions from the domestic sector are higher than that from transport, Jean previously slammed the Government’s attempts to go ‘green’ when funding for one month of the Carbon Buildings Programme ran out in just 75 minutes.
Today Jean insisted that the UK is making progress to tackle climate change but still has many adjustments to make. Jean commented; "The dangers of climate change are escalating at a rate which should cause us all the most serious alarm. The longer we delay changing our lifestyles and behavior, the worse the consequences will be. The urgency demanded by the threat of climate change requires a greater more focused commitment – not push-me, pull-you policies – from the Government to drive this agenda forward and maintain support from society.
"Our individual changes could make a considerable impact but it is vital that we have annual targets in place to monitor progress and demonstrate to us all that our actions are making a real difference within a coherent policy framework. Reviewing targets after five years will simply be too late.
"London’s Climate Change Action Plan is now leading the way, setting out the need for a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2025. Scientific research shows that this is the minimum reduction necessary to avoid a catastrophic two plus degrees rise in global temperatures but it seems the UK Government haven’t fully taken on board the warning and put our future in jeopardy. If the capital can make the essential changes, the rest of the UK can too."
ENDS
For more information please contact:Morwenna Holland, Media Officertel: 020 7407 6280 or 07813149812 email: media@jeanlambertmep.org.uk www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk
Notes to editors: Jean Lambert: In October 2005 Jean was named MEP 2005 for Justice and Human Rights. Jean was first elected Green Party Member of the European Parliament for London in the 1999 European elections. She was re-elected in 2004. She is one of nine MEPs representing London and one of two UK Green representatives in the European Parliament.