Tackling Climate Change
This page will provide a resource of information for you to know what the government is doing on the issue of Climate Change - but more importantly what you can do!
Personal Message from Andy Reed
Like many people I am genuinely concerned about climate change and want to do my bit but am still unsure what I can do and how I find out more.
Hopefully over time these pages will help find the links you need to see what is happening and what more can be done.
Over the years I have taken the small steps most of us can do. I walk to work everyday and we walk to school everyday instead of using a car. We have seriously reduced the packaging we buy (so we avoid having to recycle) and recycle assiduously. We compost and grow our own vegetables and fruit at the end of the garden. We have taken measures to increase insulation where we can (in an old Victorian house) and to reduce our use of energy. We look at our travel plans and try not to fly for pleasure. But I know it is hard. the nature of my work means I do have to travel and so we look into carbon offsetting. (I still think this is only a gesture though and we need to reduce the actual carbon footprint).
Now I want to go further - by producing renewable energy for my own home and reducing travel even further.
All of this ties in with my lifetsyle choice to live a simpler and less complex life as well. It is not east but choosing school, work and a social life based around the local community is all about a new way of doing life.
I have tried and it has been fairy easy so far just to give some thought to the things I/ we do as a family. However, I realise that I have to go much further if we are really going to live at a genuinely sustainable level. So I accept that there will be many others at different parts of the same journey. There will be some who think I have only just started and others who can't be bothered or will say its too hard to take the samll steps. That's why hope you will feedback on what you have done and we can all share experiences on this site.
Yours
Andy Reed
Climate Change at the G8
The release of the tearfund report "Two Degrees, One Chance" (see below) in advance of the G8 meeting in Germany was ideal as it set a clear target for the G8 leaders to work toward.
I was very disappointed with the overall outcome of the G8 summit but on the issue of climate change my reaction was mixed. A climate change agreement was made, but it certainly does not go far enough to reach the target set in the Tearfund report.
I am glad that climate change was on the agenda again at the G8 meeting and that a decision was made to move forward on a post-Kyoto agreement. I recognise that there is much more to be done which is why we must continue to push for world leaders to make the more substantial commitments that are necessary. In the meantime, we in the UK will continue to push forward, making the necessary lifestyle changes that will help curb global warming.
* TWO DEGREES, ONE CHANCE *
Read the latest report from Tearfund
- Two Degrees, One Chance (PDF, 296K)
'Two Degrees, One Chance' summarises the scientific evidence which shows the absolute necessity of keeping global temperature rise as far below 2°C as possible - and the catastrophic implications of exceeding that threshold, especially for poor nations and communities.
The paper explains why global average temperature rise must be kept as far below 2°C as possible (from pre-industrial levels), based on a review of evidence of the impacts at different temperature ranges. It explains how impacts on water resources, food production and ecosystems become catastrophic above that threshold, and how dangerous feedback mechanisms are much more likely to kick in, resulting in even faster warming.
This report gives a clear and concise argument for why we must make changes now - required reading for all!
click on the link above to download a full-colour copy
Climate Change - the challenge for our generation
PHOTO CREDIT: http://www.flickr.com/photos/uncene
Climate change may indeed be the biggest threat to face our future well-being and is something that I am working hard to tackle. It is not just an issue of our future but that of our children and theirs. Climate Change also has a disproportionate affect on the world's poorest people, who are least responsible for the damage we have caused.
In 2005, the UK was in the fortunate position of holding both the G8 and EU Presidencies. In both cases we achieved highly successful outcomes for climate change and energy policy. We were able to use these opportunities to put climate change firmly at the top of the agenda.
It is also important for the UK to lead by example and show the rest of the world that we can take positive steps to curb emissions of greenhouse gases. This Labour government has been at the forefront of global efforts to curb climate change since 1997, even before the issue made it to the newspaper headlines.
Details of some of the things we have already achieved are set out below.
Of course I fully recognise that we can and must do even more and that is why the Climate Change Bill and further initiatives will continue to be the main thrust of the government’s commitment. There are also many constituents who disagree with the action we take in many area and we have to work at building a consensus.
There are of course many things that we can do at home to help tackle climate change. For example, reducing the amount of energy we use in our homes by turning appliances off instead of leaving them on stand-by and using energy-efficient bulbs and appliances can reduce our energy bills as well as helping the environment. We should all look at our carbon emissions and do what we can. Changing personal habits is just as important.
Combating the problems posed by climate change requires international, national and local action. By working together on all these fronts we can reduce the level of harmful emissions and help bring about a brighter, lower-carbon future.
I will use this page to post details of the government's actions to tackle this problem. Ultimately it requires each and every one of us to alter our habits and preferences and I do hope that as many people as possible within the constituency will join me in making better, greener choices for the future.
- Gordon Brown's Speech on Climate Change
full text of the speech given by the Chancellor on climate change to the Green Alliance on 12th March 2007
The Climate Change Bill (2006/07)
* UPDATE * Climate Change Bill Published (12 March)
The Climate Change Bill will make the government’s long-term goal of a 60% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 a legally binding target. In addition it will introduce interim targets, probably at five-year intervals. Short-term targets of this type are preferable to annual targets as they provide flexibility to cope with a particularly cold winter, for example. This will prevent targets being routinely missed and their credibility undermined.
Further information on this bill and your views can be found in the "Bills before parliament and your lobbying section" follow the link below:
What has already been done
Climate Change Levy (2001)
We introduced the Climate Change Levy in 2001, which, by taxing corporate energy bills, is providing incentives for businesses to become more efficient. In addition, the proceeds are helping to support the Carbon Trust in its efforts to foster the development of lower-carbon technologies.
The Renewables Obligation (2002)
The Renewables Obligation came into force in April 2002, requiring all electricity suppliers to source 10% of their supply from renewable sources by 2010, increasing to 20% by 2020. As a result, there are currently 134 operational wind farms in the UK, powering the equivalent of over 1 million homes, with many more under construction and in the planning stages.
Energy Efficiency Commitment
The introduction of the Energy Efficiency Commitment and changes made to building regulations in 2002, 2005 and again this year have lead to a 40 per cent improvement in the energy efficiency of new buildings.
Emissions from Government Buildings Cut
We have also taken the lead by cutting the emissions of government buildings and the wider public sector. As a result, public sector emissions had fallen to about 28 per cent below 1990 levels by 2004.
‘Microrenewables’
The government is also supporting a number of initiatives to promote more localised production of energy through decentralised energy production and the use of ‘microrenewables’ by individual households as well as promoting new technologies to make it easier for people to reduce the amount of energy they are using in their homes.
What Can I Do?
There is a great deal of talk about what the government is and isn't doing to tackle climate change but, what is often forgotten is the role that each one of us can play in cutting our own carbon emissions. The best news is that by saving energy we not only save the planet but also save money on energy bills too!
I will be trying out some of the tips below at home!
1. Turning your thermostat down by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10% and save you around £40 per year.
2. Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat shouldn’t need to be set higher that 60°C/140°F.
3. Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows.
4. Always turn off the lights when you leave a room.
5. Don’t leave appliances on standby and or leave appliances on charge unnecessarily.
6. If you’re not filling up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher, use the half-load or economy programme.
7. Only boil as much water as you need.
8. Don’t waste water - fix leaking taps and make sure they’re fully turned off!
9. Replace your light bulbs with energy saving ones: just one can reduce your lighting costs by up to £100 over the lifetime of the bulb.
10. Do a home energy check and save up to £300/year.
Other Useful Links
- The Carbon Trust
The Carbon Trust is an independent company funded by the Government. Its role is to help the UK move to a low carbon economy by helping business and the public sector reduce carbon emissions now and capture the commercial opportunities of low carbon technologies
- DEFRA - Climate Change
all the details from the Dept for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the issue of Climate Change and on the government's strategy for tackling it.
- The Energy Savings Trust
The Energy savings Trust has ideas that you can implement in your own life.
- Climate Change and Poverty
information from DFID about the link between climate change and development and the challenges global warming poses in terms of tackling poverty.
- Climate Change - The UK Programme 2006 (PDF, 2144K)
This comprehensive document outlines the government's most recent strategy to tackle climate change. It sets out what has been achieved and what has yet to be done.
- BBC Weather - Climate Change
Special report by the BBC on the evidence for and possible solutions to the problem of climate change