PM calls for global action on climate change
The Prime Minister has pledged to put the UK at the forefront of the fight against climate change, and called on world leaders to rise to the challenge with ‘vision and determination’.
In a speech at the Foreign Press Association in London, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of building a global low carbon economy, and outlined measures from three Government bills - the Climate Change Bill, the Energy Bill and the Planning Bill - that will help the UK reduce its carbon emissions and move to greener energy sources.
He also looked ahead to next month's summit on climate change, when environment ministers from the world’s governments will gather in Bali, Indonesia with the aim of launching negotiations leading to a comprehensive global agreement on tackling climate change, and announced the release of a statement outlining the Government’s principle aims for any agreement.
The Prime Minister drew attention to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Synthesis Report, published on Friday, and described the IPCC’s findings as a "wake-up call for the world".
Mr Brown highlighted the announcement of the Green Homes service, which will give homes across the country access to a one-stop-shop service to help make their homes greener.
He also referred to a report to Government on how the UK could benefit economically from the new environmental agenda. The document, just published by the Commission on Environmental Markets and Economic Performance (CEMEP), looks at how the UK could make the most of the economic opportunities from the transition to a low carbon, sustainable economy.
Further information
- Read the PM’s speech
- Read the Greener Homes Service press release
- Defra’s statement on a Post-2012 framework to tackle climate change
- Defra’s climate change pages
- CEMEP report
- Defra's "Bali Diary"
- IPCC reports can be found at www.ipcc.ch.
Page published: 19 November 2007