As an environmental campaigner and a PPS at the Department for Climate Change, I have been pushing for an ambitious and effective response to climate change - from the UK and internationally.
I went to the Copenhagen climate summit in December 2009 as part of a cross-party team of MPs from around the world. I helped the British team whose aims were to get a deal that is:
- Ambitious - no more than 2 degrees temperature rise, developed-country emissions to peak in five years; the whole world in ten.
- Effective - keep countries to their word, and let money flow to where it will make most difference.
- Fair - support the poorest countries to cut their emissions and adapt to climate change.
I must admit I was disappointed the Copenhagen Accord didn't give us everything we wanted. But despite the procedural frustrations the British team encountered, our hard work both at Copenhagen and in recent months has achieved significant progress.
The agreement we got means:
- The increase in global temperatures must stay below 2 degrees and we must act together to ensure that this happens
- There will be real scrutiny to ensure emission targets are met by both developed and developing countries, with mandatory reports every two years
- Funds from developed countries will help the poorest tackle and adapt to climate change: $30Bn Fast Start between now and 2012 and $100Bn a year from 2020.
It is not everything that we worked for. We don't have the legally-binding international agreement we need, nor the necessary higher targets for cutting emissions by 2020.
But it is, without doubt, an important first step. When I was in Copenhagen, I was gratified to see how much our role in these negotiations - particularly with regard to finance for the developing world and pushing for an ambitious deal - was recognised.
Our challenge now, is to keep up the momentum. The threat of climate change is too profound and urgent for us to let go now. I will keep pushing on this -
please feel free to write or email me with your views. If you'd like to find out more about the conference, please visit my archived blog at:
http://copenhagensummit.blogspot.com
The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan
This is the UK Government's plan sets the standard for others by describing a national strategy of how the UK will achieve a cut in emissions of 34% on 1990 levels by 2020. The changes involved in the transition will mean that by 2020:
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More than 1.2 million people will be in green jobs
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7 million homes will have benefited from whole house makeovers
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Around 40% of electricity will be from low carbon sources, from renewables, nuclear and clean coal
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We will be importing half the amount of gas that we otherwise would
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The average new car will emit 40% less carbon than now.
By offering a precise map of how we move to a low-carbon economy, the plan identifies exactly where the cuts will come from that will help us meet the 2020 target. Over half the cuts (54%) are expected to come from power and heavy industry, with transport also being a major source of carbon reductions (19%). The rest will come from homes (13%), workplaces (9%) and farming, land and waste (4%).
To read the transition plan in more detail, click on the link to the right of this page.
For more information about what you can do to make your life greener, you can visit: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
