The environment suffered a double blow in Luxembourg yesterday as moves to protect both biodiversity and the climate were scuppered.
After a meeting of EU environment ministers in Luxembourg yesterday, UK energy secretary Chris Huhne described his failure as: "It is a dark day for Europe's leading role in tackling climate change." He should consider his position.
Janusz Lewandowski, the Polish commissioner in charge of the EU's €130bn budget, even expressed scepticism over the science of climate change and the future of emissions policy. "We already have overambitious agreements on CO2 emission reduction," he told a newspaper, adding, “there is a notion that the thesis that coal energy is the main cause of global warming is highly questionable. Moreover, more and more often there is a question mark put over the whole [issue of] global warming as such."
Poland gets 90% of its electricity from coal. Lewandowski said the CO2 targets "are too ambitious for the Polish economy … Polish politicians have to persuade people that there cannot be a quick jump away from coal. For Poland it would be a disaster."
"It's terrifying that the man in charge of Europe's budget is someone you might expect to see in Sarah Palin's Republican party," added Greenpeace advisor Ruth Davis.
Among Huhnes colleagues, 23 Conservative MEPs are reported to be threatening to vote against David Cameron's policy of increasing the target from 20% reductions by 2020, compared with 1990 levels, to 30%. This is in the coalition agreement, and supported by other EU member states.
Another coalition failure, in a long line of them. If the LD want to be taken seriously on Green issues they should stop propping up the Tories and show some courage.
5 years ago
5 comments:
There is no coalition in Brussels.
What exactly is your point about Chris Huhne? He is lamenting the seriousness of other EU governments to take action.
Or is it just your usual personal attack on Huhne?
'Global warming ' is not proven..........sorry, but get over it !
Gareth, The LD have not managed to get the Tories to take serious action to reduce emissuons locally or nationally. So his lament is self inflicted. Nothing personal against him, its a LD failure. They should stop propping up the Tories unless they take real action
All this is in the post, not sure how you missed it.
Howard, read some of the evidence. It was proven year ago, dont be in denial.
Howard - rubbish.
Adrian - also rubbish. Look at the Fourth Carbon Budget, which Chris ensured was adapted in full against business/Treasury pressure.
You won't acknowledge any initiative to reduce emissions, so there's no point engaging with you. I'll let the Government be judged on its record.
I look forward to hearing about any initiative Gareth.
I looked up the fourth carbon budget, it starts in 2023. So not relvant to real action during this parliament. And future governments can change it, even it was as good as claimed. More detail on this later.
Initaiatives to reduce emissions so far appear weak and inefective. So much for the greenest govt ever.
Last week they tried to take climate change off the curriculum. They redefined a zero carbon house to be almost meaningless. Not Green and not clever.
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