Climate Change Bill Goes Before Parliament

“The threat from climate change is perhaps the greatest challenge facing our world. Without decisive and urgent action, it has the potential to be an economic disaster and an environmental catastrophe. This is why I have made it a top priority for this Government, both domestically and internationally.”
Tony Blair, March 2007

These are the opening words of the Climate Change Bill, which finally goes before parliament this Spring. The Bill has been the subject of extensive campaigns from over fifty organisations going under the I-Count banner for a number of years, as it offers a huge opportunity for the UK government to make a firm commitment to cutting the nation’s emissions.

The UK right now has a wonderful opportunity to take the lead in working towards an international agreement to cut climate pollution. According to figures supplied by the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition, worldwide pollution levels must be in decline by 2015 in order to ensure we avoid an irreversible change in the Earth’s climate. As part of this, I-Count want the UK Government to cut emissions by at least 3% each year, and also to assist poorer countries gain access to clean energy and to cut poverty, as well as helping them to deal with climate disasters they are already facing.

I-Count have been campaigning to get the government to make a firm commitment in three key areas:

1. Increase the carbon dioxide reduction target from 60% to at least 80% by 2050.
2. Ensure that the UK’s share of emissions from international aviation and shipping are included in the reduction targets.
3. Set binding carbon budgets with annual milestones to make sure that emissions reductions do not go off track.

In the run-up to the Bill going before parliament, the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition will be staging a ‘Week of Action’. Between 30th March and 5th April people are encouraged to get involved by staging events, lobbying MPs and raising awareness of the issues at hand. Together, campaigners can create an irresistible mass of people who simply cannot be ignored.

To find out more about the I-Count campaign, grab your copy of the I-Count book, currently free with any purchase from Ethicalsuperstore.com.