Government fails on climate change
The Woodland Trust has branded the Government’s climate change strategy a shambles after it emerged Britain would fail to meet its own self-imposed target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2010.
Despite claims the Government would be close to its domestic emissions target, it still failed to tackle the big greenhouse gas polluters like aviation.
The Woodland Trust has been lobbying the Government to slash the UK’s emissions to tackle climate change, which is the greatest threat to ancient woodland.
Head of campaigns Ed Pomfret said: “The Government has quite simply failed to meet its environmental obligations and the result is a shambles. Britain needs to act decisively on climate change, deliver a ‘carbon budget’ immediately and control the big greenhouse gas polluters like aviation.
“The Government has taken some small positive steps by agreeing to report annually on its progress to cut greenhouse gas emissions and create benchmark sustainable settlements - but it needs to go much further to make any real difference. We now need clearer determined leadership, ambition and individual responsibility from the very top.
“Now is not the time to sit around and consider a carbon budget – now is the time to stand up and take action. Climate change is the greatest threat that people and the natural world face, and we need politicians who are willing to act.”
The Woodland Trust wants the Government to commit to:
* Introduce a deliverable ‘carbon budget’ – the Government has committed to consider this.
* Action on reaching a 60 per cent, or greater, cut in emissions by 2050 – and it is now hard to see how the Government can do this if it is already failing to reach its 2010 target.
* Tackling the impact of aviation on levels of greenhouse gas emissions – Gordon Brown failed to address this issue in last week’s Budget and instead froze Air Passenger Duty.
* More investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy.
* The immediate introduction of stricter planning policy guidelines on climate change – the Government says it is committed to this.
For more visit www.woodland-trust.org.uk/campaigns/aviation
