UK ‘undermining’ climate change diplomacy
The government’s leverage in international climate change talks is being undermined by its domestic actions, an influential group of MPs has said.
Airport expansion plans and an over-reliance on buying in emission credits to meet domestic carbon targets are negatively affecting efforts to convince other countries to take a tough stand on climate change, the environmental audit committee has found.
“It is vitally important the UK government does not undermine its position by supporting domestic policies that run counter to climate change objectives,” said chairman Tim Yeo.
“There remain real and substantial uncertainties about the pace and eventual outcome of [international] negotiations. During these complicated negotiations it is critically important that our negotiators do not lose sight of the science of climate change,” he continued.
The committee also drew a firm line on international efforts to halt climate change which sidestep the UN. Should the government adopt a similarly hard line, it could find itself in direct confrontation with the US, which has previously suggested establishing a US-led initiative on global warming outside of UN efforts.
But the report places its full faith in the UN process, saying “anything done in parallel such as by the major economies meeting or the G8 will only be helpful if they support the UN process”.
Caroline Lucas, Green party MEP, said: “Labour’s plans to treble air travel make a mockery of their concern for the climate. If Brown announced that he was dropping airport expansion and instead committing to high-speed rail links between British cities and the continent, the G8 would know it was time to raise their own game.
“But, of course, he won’t. The government’s lofty international altruism will continue to be hamstrung by their systematic anti-environmentalism at home.”
