Young People Lobby Tony Blair over Climate Change

Six school children between the ages of eight and 17 met Tony Blair at Downing Street earlier in the week to highlight their concerns about climate change and press him on urgent action, including the introduction of a new law to cut UK carbon dioxide emissions.

The six children made the visit as representatives of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, the coalition behind last Saturday's massive I Count rally in Trafalgar Square that brought more together more than 25,000 campaigners with a call to the government for more action on climate change.

The children told the Prime Minister that it was their generation who would have to live with climate change and said they were worried that not enough is being done to tackle it. The group also engaged in a lively discussion with Tony Blair in which they reminded him of the need for the UK to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions and set an example to the rest of the world.

During the meeting, the children handed a petition to the Prime Minister signed by nearly 150,000 people calling for a climate change law that would commit the UK to cut its emissions by at least three per cent year on year.

Eight year old Daniel Causebrook, a representative Tearfund, said: "It was fantastic because I met the Prime Minister and I told him why I am concerned about climate change. It's because poor farmers won't be able to grow crops so they can't feed their families or sell crops to make money."

During a tour of 10 Downing Street, Daniel challenged his guide whether the light bulbs were energy saving bulbs. He was delighted to hear that they are.

Hannah Smith, a 17-year-old from London, was also among the group. "I think Tony Blair was impressed we were so passionate about climate change," she said. "The Prime Minister said it was important we take action internationally but we reminded him that the UK has to set an example by doing something about our own carbon dioxide emissions."

Jenny Avery, also aged 17, from Northants said: "I wasn't nervous about meeting Tony Blair as climate change is a very important issue and we wanted to let him know that young people care. We are the ones who will have to live with it when we are older."

Rebecca Verlander, aged 11, from North London, said: "It has been great to tell the Prime Minister what I think about climate change. I told him if he acted now he would be remembered as a hero who helped save the whole world."

Amina Seylani, aged 12, from London said: "I was very excited to meet the Prime Minister. He listened to us and told us he was concerned about climate change too. It's up to young people to speak out and make a difference as we are going to be living with climate change"

Ben Brunwin, aged 16 from Guildford, said: "I told the Prime Minister that it was our future that would be affected and that I didn't think enough was being done about climate change."

Earlier this week a new survey revealed that nearly two thirds of young people believe that Britain is not doing enough to tackle climate change.

One thousand 8 to 14-year-olds were polled by Friends of the Earth for their view on climate change as part of a Shout about climate solutions week from 6 to 10 November.

The survey also found that concern about the dangers of climate change is growing among young people. In a similar poll last year just 60 per cent of respondents said they were worried about the impacts of climate change compared with 75 per cent this year.

Sara Shaw, Tearfund Campaigns Officer, said, "Tearfund supporters have shown they care about climate change by sending in thousands of postcards asking the Prime Minister to act, and pledging to change their own lifestyles to reduce their impact on climate change, which we've delivered today. Our hope is that this message will hit home with the Prime Minister."

Stop Climate Chaos is calling on the government to:

- Introduce a new climate change bill requiring annual cuts in UK carbon dioxide emissions of at least 3 per cent a year in this month's Queen's Speech. The proposed bill already has the backing of around two thirds of Westminster MPs [3].

- Help negotiate an international agreement that ensures that the worlds' carbon dioxide emissions are falling irreversibly by 2015. This will ensure global warming is kept below two degree centigrade danger threshold. International negotiations are currently taking place in Nairobi, Kenya, on what steps the world community should take to tackle global warming when phase one of the Kyoto climate treaty ends in 2012.

- Deliver assistance to developing countries to adapt to climate change and give access to clean energy to meet their developmental needs.