Posts Tagged ‘ed miliband’
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Low Carbon Transition Plan
Yesterday the Government published the new “Low Carbon Transition Plan”, which outlines the UK’s strategy to minimize its carbon emissions and boost the low carbon economy for the next ten years.
To achieve the target of 34% carbon emissions reduction by 2020, set out in the budget, a number of actions are planned, including a series of incentives for homes and communities such as a “Clean energy cash-back” scheme, which would pay householders for the extra energy that they produce above their own needs if they install renewable technologies (e.g. solar panels), and a new personal carbon scheme to challenge people to save energy voluntarily.
Workplaces and jobs are also included and a new campaign is being launched to guide small and medium businesses as they reduce their carbon emissions.
Climate Squad’s volunteering opportunities also concentrate on reducing the carbon emissions of local communities and businesses, fitting well with the ‘Low Carbon Transition Plan’. By joining the Climate Squad team of volunteers you will have a unique opportunity to play your part in the UK’s historical move to tackle climate change by helping your local community move towards becoming a sustainable, low carbon society.
Accomplishing the commitments set by the Government would be a huge, positive step in the fight of climate change, and would put the UK at the forefront in this worldwide process.
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“Make or Break Time for Our Climate”
As you can probably tell by the number of blogs we’ve already written on it, we here at Climate Squad are really excited about COP15 later this year, and, amazingly, we were lucky enough to be invited to the launch of the UK’s strategy for the UN Climate Change conference, “Act on Copenhagen“.
So, last Friday we made the trip up to London Zoo (and managed a quick peek at the bearded pigs and emus as we walked through!) and had the chance to be in the very select audience to hear Ed Miliband, Gordon Brown and Hilary Benn tell us about their plans for Copenhagen. We were so thrilled to be there, and we were in great company, with ambassadors from Rwanda, Canada and Italy among others, as well as some of the serious movers and shakers in the environmental action world.
Courtesy of Department of Energy & Climate Change, Crown Copyright. Photographer: Zoe Norfolk
So, what does the UK’s strategy involve? Well, Gordon Brown has set the bar high. He’s called for rich countries to hand over an amazing £60 billion (or $100 billion) each year. The money would be raised from private and public sources, such as levies on international carbon trading schemes. Developing countries would be able to apply for funds for specific projects, a necessity given that, as he pointed out in his speech, one of the greatest injustices of all is that “98% of those dying and seriously affected [by climate change] live in the poorest countries, and yet those countries account for only 8% of global emissions. Those hit first and hardest are those who have done the least.”
Greenpeace have commented on the launch, saying that “Brown is right when he says the scale of the money on the table for the developing world will make or break Copenhagen. By becoming the first major leader to put a figure on how much money is needed he has shown signs of leadership on climate change that have so far been sorely lacking”.
It’s well worth going to the Number 10 website to read a full transcript of Gordon Brown’s speech, as well as the new Act on Copenhagen site.
- Courtesy of Department of Energy & Climate Change, Crown Copyright
Climate Squad team members with Ed Miliband
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Why now? We’re not stupid
Everyone should watch The Age of Stupid - and not just because it stars the man surely everyone wants as their granddad (or is that just me?) Pete Postlethwaite. He plays a man in 2055, looking at a devastated world and asking - why didn’t we do something while we had the chance?
Now is it me, or is 2055 not that far away? If anything’s going to put you off starting for a pension, this film is it.
I saw the film’s director, Franny Armstrong, take on the UK’s Climate Change and Energy minister Ed Miliband in a debate, and I was really surprised. Not just because I found myself not hating a politician but because what he seemed to be saying was - I need people to get on my case about this. OK, so what he actually said was: “There does need in the second half of this year a real sense of people saying now’s the time to get the most ambitious deal in Copenhagen.” But that’s the same thing, right?
Anyway, who are we to argue? So if you want to encourage some people to moan at a politician, hold a screening for your friends, or your gas guzzling gran. Anyone, really. You can even charge people and keep the cash. Find out how at: www.indiescreenings.net.
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