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Following yesterday's release of the “Summary for Policymakers”
of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Green Party leader
Natalie Bennett said:
“The scientific consensus on the causes
of climate change and the risks is clearer than ever. We are talking
about 95% certainty, and consensus of 97% of climate scientists,
about the impact of human action on amplifying the greenhouse effect,
which has been understood since the 19th century. Those who would
deny the science should not have a further place in this debate: the
Flat Earth Society continues to exist, but that doesn’t mean we
need to take it seriously.”
Natalie continued: “The debate now should be moving away from
the science and on to politics and policy. Britain led the way with
the Climate Change Act, but has failed to follow that clear statement
of intent with effective action. Globally, China and the US are
taking steps in the right direction, but that all countries need to
move much further and faster.
“The UK needs to maintain leadership, and benefit by leading in
adjusting its economy for the low-carbon future. Cutting our
addiction to fossil fuel use is good for consumers too. The massive
rise in energy bills that has hit UK households hard in recent years
is chiefly the result of rising gas bills. Fracking and the ‘dash
for gas’ are expensive dead-ends.
“Instead we need to restructure our economy. Green MP Caroline
Lucas has highlighted the risks of the ‘carbon bubble’ – the
over-valuation of companies based on unburnable fossil fuel reserves.
We also need to end the global $500-billion worth of subsidies
being paid for fossil fuel extraction, six times the subsidies being
paid to renewable energy.
“Investment in energy conservation and in renewable energy
technologies is the right choice both environmentally and
economically. The Centre for Alternative Technology has calculated
that the job creation potential of a zero-carbon economy could reach
1.5 million, covering a range of skills and sectors across the
country, all at least paying a living wage.
“Currently not a penny of government money is going into
insulating our leaky, poorly insulated homes, which are a huge factor
in fuel poverty. A serious programme of insulation – and of
building new, appropriately sited homes that are affordable not just
in rent but also in heating and transport costs – could together
deliver jobs, tackle poverty, and cut our carbon emissions.”
Bennett concluded: “A further important step would be to produce
the long-delayed transport strategy for England, replacing the
discredited HS2 plan with an approach that focuses on helping people
get between home, work, study and leisure affordably and in a
low-carbon way, with a strong focus on walking and cycling, and
improving the many ‘Low Speed One’ rail lines around the country.
“Today’s report makes it very clear that the world is running
out of time to tackle the threat of uncontrolled climate change, and
that climate risks to people here in the UK, such as flooding and
summer heatwaves, are even greater. Now is the time for politicians
to stop listening to the siren voices of the fossil fuel lobbyists,
and act decisively to put us on the path to zero carbon economy.”
