Byers: Action needed now on global warming

Tuesday, 25 January 2005 9:01 AM

Former Transport Minister, Stephen Byers, has called for immediate action on global warming to stave off irredeemable damage to the environment.

The co-chairman of the International Climate Change Taskforce forecast devastation for the world's environment within the next decade if governments failed to act.

A report by the taskforce - backed by the Institute for Public Policy Research, the Centre for American Progress and the Australia Institute - yesterday warned carbon dioxide levels could become so great within ten to 20 years that cuts would prove futile.

The report called on all G8 countries to introduce national targets to generate at least a quarter of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2025 and mandatory "cap-and-trade" schemes for carbon emissions akin to those working in the European Union.

America, the world's biggest polluter, was urged to take bigger steps to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

The US has consistently refused to sign up to the Kyoto protocol.

Mr Byers said: "Our planet is at risk. With climate change, there is an ecological time-bomb ticking away, and people are becoming increasingly concerned by the changes and extreme weather events they are already seeing.

"Urgent action is required if we are to win the battle against this problem. That can only happen with strong political leadership.

"The taskforce with its diverse membership has been able to find common ground. Our recommendations are practical, realistic but also challenging.

"World leaders need to recognise that climate change is the single most important long term issue that the planet faces and to discharge their responsibilities to the people they represent by agreeing to concerted international action to tackle climate change."

In the wake of the report, Friends of the Earth, called on the Government to review its transport and energy policy and cut UK emissions year-on-year.

Friends of the Earth's director, Tony Juniper, said the "alarming warning" by the taskforce must spur the Government into "urgent" action on climate change.

"Despite his apparent concerns, the Prime Minister has so far put short term political convenience ahead of desperately needed policies to tackle global warming," he said.

"The alarm bells are growing louder. If world leaders fail to take urgent action it will soon be too late."

Tony Blair has said that efforts to curb global warming will be at the top of the agenda during Britain's presidency of the G8 in 2005.

Attention will now focus on the speech Mr Blair is due to make on climate change at the World Economic Forum at Davos in Switzerland later this week.

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