BRITAIN MUST LEAD BY EXAMPLE
Friday 30 June 2006
Liberal Democrats are calling on Britain to take a leadership role in combating climate change to prevent devastating environmental consequences.
The UK produces 2% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions and has set targets to cut them in half by 2050. These targets have been criticised because despite rapid industrialisation, China, India and the US have failed to ratify the Kyoto Treaty and administrate for the reduction of carbon emissions.
Peter Emery production director for Drax power said: “China, India and the USA are not signed up to this and when you look at how much energy they produce from coal it does make some of the efforts in Europe look insignificant.”
“What does that do to the competitiveness of your industry whilst at the same time trying to influence a change in policy for the better?” he added.
Friends of the Earth campaigner Mike Birkin said: “It’s a problem that is clearly international in scope, but we have had the benefit of an energy rich life style for sometime and our emissions per head are much bigger those of the Chinese.”
Liberal Democrat shadow energy minister, Chris Huhne argues: “Britain in particular has a role to play in leading this debate and attempting to help the international community face up to the challenges of climate change and deal with it.
“If we don’t tackle this problem we are going to have devastating environmental consequences that will lead to massive crop failures, starvation and wars about the shortages of water; it’s going to be potentially a truly devastating scenario for human kind.”