Public and Commercial Services Union

The climate change bill

We support Friends of the Earth’s ‘The Big Ask’ campaign, launched in May 2005, that demands that the UK government introduce a strong climate change law.

In November 2006 the government announced that a Climate Change Bill would be published in that parliamentary year.

The demand for legislation was supported by over 400 MPs and a wide range of environmental, conservation and development organisations.

Cut carbon dioxide by 80%

Friends of the Earth is pushing to get a strong bill with targets to cut carbon dioxide emissions - one of the major causes of climate change - by 80 per cent by 2050.

In March 2007 the government published a draft Climate Change Bill. It means the UK will become the first country in the world to introduce a legal framework to reduce carbon emissions.

Friends of the Earth campaign

Friends of the Earth argues that a Climate Change Bill is a crucial first step to tackling climate change, as it would set targets for carbon reductions, with annual reports and independent scrutiny of progress.

But without specific short-term targets for cutting carbon dioxide emissions longer term targets remain vague and distant.

Short term political expediency is likely to mean governments will leave this issue to the next one to sort out.

Already, despite manifesto promises, UK emissions are actually higher than they were in 1997 when the present government came to power.

Lobby your MP

So the draft bill needs to be strengthened if we are to lead the world in tackling climate change. The public consultation on the draft bill ended on 12 June.

Email your MP through the Friends of the Earth website, and ask them to support a strong climate change bill.