A new government report on the threat of flooding caused by climate change shows how urgently we need to tackle climate change. It proposes relocation inland of some coastal facilities like refineries. I'd like to know how we're going to relocate sea-side towns like Skegness and Grimsby.

The fact is we have no alternative but to stop climate change. There's still time to do it if we act urgently.

The government and the other big parties continue to fiddle while Rome burns. They've got inadequate targets. They haven't even got the policies needed to meet those targets, and some of their policies still go in precisely the wrong direction. (1, 2)

We Greens have been pointing to the threat from climate change for the last twenty years, and public awareness of the problem is gaining ground. Now government policy needs to catch up.

This is one reason why this year's Euro-elections are so important. Europe can play a decisive role in stopping climate change. We need more Greens elected from the UK to strengthen the Green Group in the European Parliament, to give this subject the priority it deserves.

The Greens have a comprehensive package of policies to tackle climate change which they say will have huge spin-off benefits including sustainable jobs in renewable energy, much better public transport, energy-efficient housing, and the abolition of fuel poverty.

Notes

1. See e.g. report from The Guardian, www.guardian.co.uk/climatechange

2. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change at the UN says we must reduce CO2 emissions by 60% from 1990 levels by 2050 to avert the worst consequences of climate change. The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution urged this, and the government has accepted it. However, the 60% target is a global target - high-polluting countries like the UK need to achieve more like a 90% reduction. The Green Party is still the only party that accepts this and makes policy accordingly.

3. Of the big three parties, the Liberal Democrats' policies are the best and the Conservatives' the worst. But all three promote roadbuilding which is known to generate traffic - road transport contributes 25% of greenhouse gas emissions. All three support massive expansion of the aviation industry - aviation is the fastest-growing source of greenhouse gas emissions. Some 400 MPs of all parties supported the Home Energy Conservation Bill, which would have saved 30% of energy currently used in UK households - but the government blocked the bill, and only the Green Party remains committed to it. Nor does any party except the Greens have the comprehensive range of policies for solar, wind and wave energy needed to stop climate change. Contrast Germany, where the environment minister is a Green: Germany builds more solar roof panels in a good month than the UK government is planning for three years!

Return to Euro 2004 intro
Return to home page

Published and promoted by Brian Fewster on behalf of the Green Party and himself as candidate at 89a Winchester Avenue, Leicester LE3 1AY.