Brown outlines vision to tackle climate change

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has outlined his vision of creating a greener Britain.

Speaking at an event organised by the WWF called "A One Planet Future", Brown said that a new "green hotline" would be introduced to allow people to seek advice on what they can do to be more environmentally friendly.

This "hotline" would take the form of a new Green Homes Service, which would have a telephone line, website and advice centres. The service is intended to be a single point of contact for people who want a "home energy audit".

The Prime Minister also suggested that the current target of reducing carbon emissions 60 per cent by 2050 could be raised to 80 per cent.

He also said he would commit the UK to meeting EU targets on increasing renewable energy. The current EU-set target for Britain would require the UK to generate 40-50 per cent of electricity from renewable sources, currently the figure stands at 5 per cent, according to the BBC.

Brown also pledged to take action against one-use plastic bags saying that he was convinced Britain could "eliminate single-use disposable bags altogether, in favour of long-lasting and more sustainable alternatives".

He added that there would be "hard choices and tough decisions" to be made but that a new low carbon economy could bring hundreds of thousands of new British jobs and thousands of new British businesses.

The Green Homes Service will provide advice on saving water and reducing waste along with other measures people can take to cause less harm to the environment.

Brown also announced that in 50 of the poorest areas in Britain, homes would be offered energy efficiency deals and that discounted help would be offered for those selling or buying energy inefficient homes.

The Prime Minister also said that he wished to work with developed countries like Japan and the USA to make a "funding framework" that would help developing countries to "shift to lower carbon growth, reduce emissions from deforestation and adapt to climate change".

He also said, "While the richest countries have caused climate change it is the poorest who are already suffering its effects."

The Prime Minister said that the Government's Climate Change Bill would introduce a "statutory cap" on carbon emissions and would ensure that Britain reaches its target of a 60 per cent reduction in emissions by 2050.

Brown also spoke of his desire for a post-2012 agreement to include a "binding emissions cap" for all developed countries. He said that he would be discussing he agreement in December at a UN Climate Conference in Bali.

Brown ended his speech by saying, "All of us - Government, business, civil society and individuals - have a part to play. Working apart we will surely fail. But working together I have no doubt that this is a challenge to which the human spirit, and our powers of ingenuity and enterprise, will rise."

Brown did face some criticism, however, on his environmental record. The Shadow environment secretary Peter Ainsworth said Brown's record was one of "missing targets, then scrapping them, then cutting the budgets that deal with them", according to the BBC.

"Just this weekend, we learnt of a further £300m of crippling cuts to key environmental services.

"Until Gordon Brown learns that tough action is needed to back up his warm words, he cannot be the change the country needs."

Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Chris Huhne, who is also running to be his party's leader, said, "The Government blithely talks of the opportunities created by green industries yet refuses to promote fledgling initiatives properly.

"Boasts of a new green home service seem shallow when recent cuts to the New Millennium Grants will dissuade many homeowners from installing energy saving measures in their homes."

David Nussbaum, the CEO of WWF, who hosted the "A One Planet Future" event, however, reacted positively to Brown's speech saying, "This marks a big shift in the right direction from where the Government was 12 months ago. The next six months will be vital and we look forward to holding the Government to account on its promises."

He stressed the need for the Climate Change Bill to ensure that emissions were cut by at least 80 per cent by 2050, and to include emissions from international aviation and shipping."

The WWF is also calling on the Government to introduce a full Marine Bill
as soon as possible to protect and properly manage our marine
environment. A strong marine bill will also be crucial if we are to
meet our offshore renewable targets.