Tackling Climate Change

This page will provide a resource of information for you to know what the government is doing on the issue of Climate Change - but more importantly what you can do!

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Personal Message from Andy Reed

I do personally believe that we are being impacted by man- made climate change and we are responsible for the impact it is already having on large parts of the developing world. I have been fortunate to visit and see these impacts for myself in parts of sub Saharan Africa.

I have been a campaigner on 'Green Issues' since the mid 80s's, when I helped set up Green Wedge to campaign inside the Labour Party in Leicestershire to put green issues at the forefront of our policies. I am certainly no late convert to the issue!

I have been proud of the leadership shown by the Labour government on the international front and at Copenhagen, as well as being the first country to enact a Climate Change Act with legally binding carbon reduction plans.

The Climate Change Act gives the UK the basis for meeting its own tough emissions and carbon targets.

But I have also been promoting these issues locally.

Loughborough is now home to the £1bn Energy Technology Institute. I am promoting 'green business' growth through work with the University. Working closely with local environmental campaigner Prof. Tony Marmont and companies like Intelligent Energy, as well as promoting green technology at the University.

I am also a Trustee of the NEF –

NEF empowers individuals and organisations to take action to reduce their carbon emissions through energy efficiency and use of sustainable energy sources to counter climate change.

www.nef.org.uk

You can see other things I have done over the years by searching this website.

Like many people I am genuinely concerned about climate change and want to do my bit but am still unsure what I can do and how I find out more.

Hopefully over time these pages will help find the links you need to see what is happening and what more can be done.

Over the years I have taken the small steps most of us can do. I walk to work every day and we walk to school every day instead of using a car. We have seriously reduced the packaging we buy (so we avoid having to recycle) and recycle assiduously. We compost and grow our own vegetables and fruit at the end of the garden. We have taken measures to increase insulation where we can (in an old Victorian house) and to reduce our use of energy. We look at our travel plans and try not to fly for pleasure. But I know it is hard. The nature of my work means I do have to travel and so we look into carbon offsetting. (I still think this is only a gesture though and we need to reduce the actual carbon footprint).

Now I want to go further - by producing renewable energy for my own home and reducing travel even further.

All of this ties in with my lifestyle choice to live a simpler and less complex life as well. It is not east but choosing school, work and a social life based around the local community is all about a new way of doing life.

I have tried and it has been fairly easy so far just to give some thought to the things I/ we do as a

family. However, I realise that I have to go much further if we are really going to live at a genuinely sustainable level. So I accept that there will be many others at different parts of the same journey. There will be some who think I have only just started and others who can't be bothered or will say it’s too hard to take the small steps. That's why hope you will feedback on what you have done and we can all share experiences on this site.

Yours

Andy Reed

What Our Manifesto Says

A green future for Britain

To be on track for the transition to a low-carbon economy in a way that is fair, secure and helps create the jobs of the future, as we protect and enhance our natural environment and quality of life. For the Tories the environment has been all about image — by failing to deliver on our renewable energy targets, reversing our planning reforms and giving up on our new industrial strategy, they would put Labour’s low-carbon revolution in jeopardy.

The next stage of national renewal

• Achieve around 40 per cent low-carbon electricity by 2020 and create 400,000 new green jobs by 2015.
• Make greener living easier and fairer through ‘pay as you save’ home energy insulation, energy-bill discounts for pensioners and requiring landlords to properly insulate rented homes.
• Move towards a ‘zero waste’ Britain, banning recyclable and biodegradable materials from landfill.
• Link together new protected areas of habitat; maintain the Green Belt; increase forest and woodland areas.
• Ensure fairness for food producers through EU reform and a Supermarkets Ombudsman; and support post offices, shops and pubs in rural communities.

Britain is a transition economy: from high carbon to low carbon. To avert the catastrophe of unchecked climate change we have begun the shift to a different kind of economic future. Our vision is of a society where economic prosperity and quality of life come not from exploiting the natural world but from its defence.

This is a huge challenge, not just for Britain but for the world. Living within our environmental means will require a dramatic shift using resources more efficiently and reducing waste. We will need to find new ways of balancing the multiple uses of land: safeguarding food security at the same time as enriching our natural environment; protecting distinctive landscapes while enabling environmentally sensitive development.

Labour’s environmental agenda reflects our values. Only active government can shape markets to prioritise green growth and job creation. Environmental sustainability cannot be left to individuals and businesses acting alone. We believe that people have the right to a healthy environment. That means giving everyone access to the beauty and amenity of natural places; we want to make it easier to live in a sustainable way whatever your standard of living.

We believe in local community action – enabling both elected councils and community and social enterprises to provide environmental benefits to local people. We are internationalists too: only co-operative global action – including a strong European Union – can tackle climate change and protect the world’s precious environments.

Follow this link for more details:

http://www.labour.org.uk/manifesto/a-green-future-for-britain

Labour Policies on Climate Change

The Environment, Climate Change and Energy

We believe that the green agenda is fundamentally rooted in Labour values. Labour’s environment, energy and climate change policies are about securing fairness, creating jobs and building strong communities as well as tackling carbon emissions and improving the quality of life. By taking the action we need to tackle climate change and reduce waste we can drive economic growth, make Britain more energy independent, and make it easier for people to live in greener ways.

Labour came to power at a time when climate change was emerging as an important political issue. Six months after we took office, the Labour Government played a key role in securing a new international agreement at Kyoto. This signalled the beginning of a period in which Britain has become a world leader on tackling climate change globally and at home. Our 2008 Climate Change Act makes the UK the first country in the world to put its carbon targets into law – cutting emissions by a third (34 per cent) by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050 on 1990 levels. Our UK Low Carbon Transition Plan sets out a comprehensive strategy for reducing emissions right across the economy, with every government department given its own ‘carbon budget’.

With Labour our green policies have become a motor of economic prosperity. As firms invest in insulating people’s homes, renewable energy and nuclear power, and in new technologies such as electric vehicles, we will create around 400,000 new green jobs by 2015 – making 1.2 million British jobs in the environmental and low carbon sectors in all. The Government’s Low Carbon Industrial Strategy has set a framework for active industrial policy, with new firms such as wind turbine manufacturers now investing in Britain.

We continue to push for international agreement on action to tackle climate change; we are determined that the progress made at Copenhagen in December 2009 will ultimately result in the ambitious, effective and fair legally binding agreement on which we have led. We are spending £1.5 billion on climate assistance to developing countries between 2010 and 2012 and are committed to ensuring that from 2013 part of our climate assistance is additional to our pledge to provide 0.7 per cent of national income in aid, with no more than 10 per cent of our Official Development Assistance counted towards climate finance.

Labour believes that the beauty and biodiversity of Britain’s countryside and green spaces enrich the quality of our lives. Over the last thirteen years we have worked not only to protect our natural environment for future generations but to open up access for all. Through our two landmark Acts – the Countryside and Rights of Way Act and the Marine and Coastal Access Act – and the creation of two new National Parks in the New Forest and South Downs we have enabled millions of people to enjoy our countryside and coastal areas. We have supported rural business, and seen a steady improvement in rural public services; rural unemployment is below the national average. We are committed to spending £3.9 billion in the next Rural Development Programme in England, the major part of which will be devoted to agri-environment Environmental Stewardship schemes, improving the quality of our countryside for people and wildlife. By setting and exceeding our target for 60 per cent of new developments to be on brownfield land and by extending the area of Green Belt we have contributed both to the renaissance of our urban areas and to the protection of the countryside.

Rural communities are home to one million businesses, employing more than 5.5 million people with a combined turnover of more than £300 billion a year. Average incomes in rural areas are higher, and rural unemployment is lower. So are rural crime rates, while school results are better. But we need to make sure rural areas remain strong. That’s why we are making sure that high speed broadband will reach all of rural Britain, why we are building affordable homes and why we have supported post offices which are often the hub of the local community.

Labour remains committed to defending the welfare of animals, whether wild, domestic or on farms. We have legislated to ban cruel ‘sports’ such as fox hunting and hare coursing, toughened the sanctions against people who mistreat animals, and banned animal testing of cosmetics and barren cages for chickens, among other items. We will ensure that these measures are rigorously enforced, and extend and enhance them where necessary.

Climate Change at the G8

The release of the tearfund report "Two Degrees, One Chance" (see below) in advance of the G8 meeting in Germany was ideal as it set a clear target for the G8 leaders to work toward.

I was very disappointed with the overall outcome of the G8 summit but on the issue of climate change my reaction was mixed. A climate change agreement was made, but it certainly does not go far enough to reach the target set in the Tearfund report.

I am glad that climate change was on the agenda again at the G8 meeting and that a decision was made to move forward on a post-Kyoto agreement. I recognise that there is much more to be done which is why we must continue to push for world leaders to make the more substantial commitments that are necessary. In the meantime, we in the UK will continue to push forward, making the necessary lifestyle changes that will help curb global warming.

* TWO DEGREES, ONE CHANCE *
Read the latest report from Tearfund

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Climate Change - the challenge for our generation

Climate change may indeed be the biggest threat to face our future well-being and is something that I am working hard to tackle. It is not just an issue of our future but that of our children and theirs. Climate Change also has a disproportionate affect on the world's poorest people, who are least responsible for the damage we have caused.

In 2005, the UK was in the fortunate position of holding both the G8 and EU Presidencies. In both cases we achieved highly successful outcomes for climate change and energy policy. We were able to use these opportunities to put climate change firmly at the top of the agenda.

It is also important for the UK to lead by example and show the rest of the world that we can take positive steps to curb emissions of greenhouse gases. This Labour government has been at the forefront of global efforts to curb climate change since 1997, even before the issue made it to the newspaper headlines.

Details of some of the things we have already achieved are set out below.

Of course I fully recognise that we can and must do even more and that is why the Climate Change Bill and further initiatives will continue to be the main thrust of the government’s commitment. There are also many constituents who disagree with the action we take in many area and we have to work at building a consensus.

There are of course many things that we can do at home to help tackle climate change. For example, reducing the amount of energy we use in our homes by turning appliances off instead of leaving them on stand-by and using energy-efficient bulbs and appliances can reduce our energy bills as well as helping the environment. We should all look at our carbon emissions and do what we can. Changing personal habits is just as important.

Combating the problems posed by climate change requires international, national and local action. By working together on all these fronts we can reduce the level of harmful emissions and help bring about a brighter, lower-carbon future.

I will use this page to post details of the government's actions to tackle this problem. Ultimately it requires each and every one of us to alter our habits and preferences and I do hope that as many people as possible within the constituency will join me in making better, greener choices for the future.

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The Climate Change Bill (2006/07)

* UPDATE * Climate Change Bill Published (12 March)

The Climate Change Bill will make the government’s long-term goal of a 60% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 a legally binding target. In addition it will introduce interim targets, probably at five-year intervals. Short-term targets of this type are preferable to annual targets as they provide flexibility to cope with a particularly cold winter, for example. This will prevent targets being routinely missed and their credibility undermined.

Further information on this bill and your views can be found in the "Bills before parliament and your lobbying section" follow the link below:

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What has already been done

Climate Change Levy (2001)

We introduced the Climate Change Levy in 2001, which, by taxing corporate energy bills, is providing incentives for businesses to become more efficient. In addition, the proceeds are helping to support the Carbon Trust in its efforts to foster the development of lower-carbon technologies.

The Renewables Obligation (2002)

The Renewables Obligation came into force in April 2002, requiring all electricity suppliers to source 10% of their supply from renewable sources by 2010, increasing to 20% by 2020. As a result, there are currently 134 operational wind farms in the UK, powering the equivalent of over 1 million homes, with many more under construction and in the planning stages.

Energy Efficiency Commitment

The introduction of the Energy Efficiency Commitment and changes made to building regulations in 2002, 2005 and again this year have lead to a 40 per cent improvement in the energy efficiency of new buildings.

Emissions from Government Buildings Cut

We have also taken the lead by cutting the emissions of government buildings and the wider public sector. As a result, public sector emissions had fallen to about 28 per cent below 1990 levels by 2004.

‘Microrenewables’

The government is also supporting a number of initiatives to promote more localised production of energy through decentralised energy production and the use of ‘microrenewables’ by individual households as well as promoting new technologies to make it easier for people to reduce the amount of energy they are using in their homes.

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What Can I Do?

There is a great deal of talk about what the government is and isn't doing to tackle climate change but, what is often forgotten is the role that each one of us can play in cutting our own carbon emissions. The best news is that by saving energy we not only save the planet but also save money on energy bills too!

I will be trying out some of the tips below at home!

1. Turning your thermostat down by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10% and save you around £40 per year.
2. Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat shouldn’t need to be set higher that 60°C/140°F.
3. Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows.
4. Always turn off the lights when you leave a room.
5. Don’t leave appliances on standby and or leave appliances on charge unnecessarily.
6. If you’re not filling up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher, use the half-load or economy programme.
7. Only boil as much water as you need.
8. Don’t waste water - fix leaking taps and make sure they’re fully turned off!
9. Replace your light bulbs with energy saving ones: just one can reduce your lighting costs by up to £100 over the lifetime of the bulb.
10. Do a home energy check and save up to £300/year.

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