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Ed Miliband urges 'more ambition' in climate change battle
09.07.09
Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband today called on the world to show "more ambition" in the fight against global warming, after G8 leaders agreed on attempts to limit average global temperature increases to 2C.
Mr Miliband said the move to unite around the scientific consensus that temperature increases of more than 2C must be avoided was a "welcome step" in agreeing a deal at the forthcoming Copenhagen climate change summit.
But he warned the key to securing a binding agreement would be to achieve unity with developing countries on the 2C target.
He told MPs: "Frankly we need more ambition in the run up to Copenhagen but a 2C agreement will, I think, drive that action."
Gordon Brown and his fellow G8 leaders are holding crunch talks today with emerging economies including China and India over plans to halt global warming.
The G8 reached an agreement last night - hailed as "historic" by the Prime Minister - at the summit in L'Aquila, Italy to seek to limit average global temperature increases to 2C by cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050.
The deal marked a major breakthrough on the road towards the United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen in December but the G8 group of major industrialised powers now face a tough challenge to secure agreement from emerging economies to a cap on their own fast-increasing carbon use.
Such a cap is crucial if the world is to reach the overall 50% cut in emissions believed necessary by the middle of the century to hit the 2C target.
At Commons question time, Mr Miliband said: "Yesterday's decision by G8 leaders to unite around the scientific consensus that we must avoid temperature increases of more than 2C is a welcome step in shaping an ambitious Copenhagen deal.
"We hope this will be reflected in an agreement today by developed and developing countries."
He said it was "the first time the world has signed up to a 2C objective", adding: "The key thing for today, I think that is most important, is that we can get unity between developed and developing countries around 2C.
"Why is that important? Because it will drive the action that countries need to take. And frankly we need more ambition in the run up to Copenhagen but a 2C agreement will, I think, drive that action."
And he added: "The key task from here on, up to Copenhagen, is for developed and developing countries to say: 'Well now we have this 2C target, what is the pathway - including the mid-term targets that we need for 2020 - to meet this 2C challenge'.
"Because we now need, the leaders having agreed at least at the G8 to 2C as the objective, we now need a 2C deal out of Copenhagen."
Reader views (12)
"This planet is going through a natural phase in it's life cycle. We are entering another period where global temperatures increase" - Jock, London
Increases and decreases of GMST to form cycles doesn't just happen, systems have to be driven away from equilibrium.
So Jock, what is the forcing mechanism behind the global temperature increase if it's not anthropogenic CO2 increase? A gas, amongst many others, we've known for nearly 200 years absorbs and re-radiates long wave infra-red radiated from the Earth's surface and is implicated by huge amounts of data in the warming of the Cretaceous.
Then again, perhaps you are a greenhouse gas denialist someone who lives in a spot on Earth where when it's cloudy at night it's just as cold as when it's a clear night!
- Dr Paul Martin, Nottingham
"... the lies of man made climate change." - Dave Davies
There we were thinking the denialists and uneducated had all disappeared with Bush - then DD pipes up.
- Alan, London
Jay, London - Feeding the world is important but unconnected to the lies of man made climate change.
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, Hants
How can we believe anything from a minister who signed up to the 3rd runway on the grounds that its use would be limited - these politicians do they think we are Goldfish?
- Christian Ball, London, UK
Perhaps he should start by scrapping the plans for a third runway. In effect it will be a new airport and a lot of the passengers will just be passing through London on the way to an end destination overseas.
The emissions from the uneccessary extra flights will scupper any sensible targets for climate change.
- Alice Jones, London, England
Dave Davies*
CORRECT!
What Milibanana knows about this subject would easily fit on the back of a fleas' ear.
- Reuben Camara, Republic of Morecambe, UK
More rubbish, which will suck in the Greenies and make them part with more money for "energy-saving" products.
This planet is going through a natural phase in it's life cycle. We are entering another period where global temperatures increase, whether we like it or not. And following this, the Earth will doubtless enter another Ice Age. The cycle will continue until the Sun explodes.
But well done to Al Gore, Milliband, etc. You're all pulling off a marvellous con.
- Jock, London
Dave Davies needs reminding that the world's population will increase by 50% by 2050, and food production will have to double, mainly due to more people eating meat. Both will dramatically increase economic activity, and complacency is unwise.
Variations in the sun's output do not seem to explain changes in climate. For instance, the sun spot cycle has not been abnormal, and we are back in a normal cycle after all.
- Jay, London
Cor,stone me,I think you've just touched on Peter Dublin's specialised subject!
- Steve, London
What a numpty.
He thinks the earths temperature is affected by man, rather than that huge orange ball in the sky that we call the Sun, which has been burning for millions of years and will continue for long after we have all died.
Now I wait for all the unthinking sheep to attack my comment.
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, Hants
(continued)
Funding and Impact
Equity and long term loan finance can be used: Long term industrial loans from financial institutions, particularly if federal/state guaranteed, give low yearly interest repayments and lessen the effect on electricity bills or transport cost.
Compare with
today’s all-encompassing Cap and Trade (emission trading) suggestions, with unpredictability, expense, and needless disruption from normal business practice on one hand, or unnecessary profiteering from free allowance handouts with little actual emission reduction on the other hand - together with extensive regulation on what people can or can’t buy and use.
Understanding why proposed Cap and Trade is bad, in USA and elsewhere
http://www.ceolas.net/#cce5x
Basic Idea — Offsets — Tree Planting — Manufacture Shift — Fair Trade — Surreal Market — Real Market — Allowances: Auctions + Hand-Outs — Allowance Trading — Companies: Business Stability + Business Cost — In Conclusion
The Way Forward
http://www.ceolas.net/#cc10x
Introduction — Funding and Impact —No Energy Efficiency Regulation — A New Electric World
Electricity Generation — Distribution
Transport Power Generation — Regulation — Taxation
- Peter Dublin, dublin ireland
Emission reduction could be made much more simple:
Sufficient first phase 2020/2030 emission reduction is achieved by acting on ELECTRICITY generation (coal, gas) and TRANSPORT (mainly automobiles) alone, since these 2 sectors typically (as in the USA) account for 80% of greenhouse gas emissions.
The focus on electricity and transport gives several advantages - apart from lowering CO2 emissions:
1. Local environmental benefit from less pollution of sulphur and all else that’s in the emissions, regardless of the less certain or immediate global benefit from CO2 reduction.
2. Electricity supply alternatives which together with improved grid distribution gives better competition and keeps down electricity bills for consumers.
3. Transport alternatives (using electricity, hydrogen and other energy sources), which give variety of choice and competition advantages for consumers, additionally reducing the dependency on oil imports.
4. No trade problems: Unlike Cap and Trade, which involves cement, steel and other industries having to face imports from unregulated countries, the here suggested electricity and transport changes are not just more limited, but also largely local. Since there is little competition between say utility companies internationally, "best practice" results can be compared and shared.
(continued)
- Peter Dublin, dublin ireland
