Environmental Groups
Accuse Britain's Blair of Squandering Chance To Tackle Climate Change
November 14, 2005 — By Jill Lawless, Associated Press
LONDON — Environmental groups on
Monday accused Prime Minister Tony Blair of squandering his chance to
take action on climate change during Britain's leadership of the
European Union and G-8.
The government's chief scientific adviser said the criticisms were
"grossly unfair."
WWF U.K. -- formerly the Worldwide Fund for Nature -- said Blair had
produced fine words but little action during Britain's six-month turn at
the EU helm, which ends Dec. 31. Greenpeace accused Blair's government
of "making things worse, not better."
Earlier this year, Blair promised to use Britain's stints at the head of
the EU and the G-8 group of industrial nations to try to make a
"breakthrough" on climate change.
But the WWF accused the government of failing to combat German and U.S.
attempts to weaken legislation on harmful chemicals and said Blair had
"undermined the most central plank of climate change policy" with recent
remarks about the Kyoto accord.
WWF director of campaigns Andrew Lee said Blair's negotiating position
on environmental issues "becomes daily less discernible from that of
U.S. President George W. Bush."
"It is becoming clear that all the talking up has been aimed more at
trying to please environmentally concerned voters and green
organizations than demonstrating the will to actually use leadership in
tough negotiations," Lee said.
At a recent international meeting of energy and environment ministers in
London, Blair said mandatory targets limiting pollution made people
"very nervous and very worried" and were incompatible with economic
success. He said a more sensitive framework for tackling global warming
would be needed when the Kyoto agreement expires in 2012.
Bush, who has refused to sign up to the 1997 accord, has expressed
similar views, saying the caps on greenhouse gas emissions it demands
would damage the U.S. economy.
The WWF said a meeting in Montreal later this month on how to combat
climate change after Kyoto expires represented a last chance for Blair
to make a difference.
The British wing of the environmental group Greenpeace also said Blair's
recent speeches had "begun to undermine the Kyoto agreement." The group,
which on Monday dumped coal in front of Blair's Downing Street residence
to protest his environmental policies, accused the government for
overseeing an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, failing to curb
coal-burning power stations and contemplating an expansion of nuclear
power.
The government's chief scientific adviser, David King, said the
criticisms were "grossly unfair."
"I think we achieved an enormous amount. We now have 12 states in the
United States saying they wish to engage in emissions trading to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions," King said.
"We have got all five states in Australia firm on reducing emissions. We
have got a statement from the G8 saying that we will act with resolve
and urgency now to meet our objectives of reducing greenhouse gas
emissions," he told British Broadcasting Corp. radio.
"There is an enormous amount of interest in the topic and the reason is
because we put it on our G-8 agenda."
Source: Associated Press
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