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Hounslow Liberal Democrats |
LETTER: Kyoto protocol - the work has only just begun
February 13, 2005 12:00 AM
Charles Kennedy MP with Don Foster MP alongside a solar heating installation
As we celebrate the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol this Wednesday we must not lose sight of the fact that the work has only just begun; and the work is about to get an awful lot harder.
As the government's own Chief Scientific adviser has stated, Global Warming presents a greater threat to our society than terrorism. This year the UK's presidency of both the G8 and the EU gives the government a unique opportunity to push forward a radical agenda. Without using this year to drive forward a progressive agenda we will not see the step change or movement required from nearly all national governments that current and future generations expect from our leaders.
We can not address global warming through change in the UK alone, it will also require greater international partnership. This is why a Liberal Democrat government would lead negotiations for the next stage of international agreements on climate change, engaging the developing countries excluded from the Kyoto protocol in working towards the goal of 'contraction and convergence' in CO2 emissions. At the same time we would continue to press nations such as the USA and Australia to embrace emission reduction targets as the only way forward.
The need for a more progressive agenda to address climate change is why the Liberal Democrats in government would reform the Climate Change Levy into a Carbon Tax. This would be payable by all energy users not involved in the Emissions Trading Scheme, initially set at the same overall level as the CCL but with the level in future to be set on the advice of our Green Tax Commission. If elected we will also invest in more energy conservation and efficiency grants to allow domestic consumers and businesses to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the most cost-effective way.
I encourage anyone wanting more detailed information on our environmental policies to visit www.andrewdakers.com and for information on the contraction and convergence approach to global warming visit www.gci.org .
Yours sincerely
Andrew Dakers
Liberal Democrat Prospective MP for Brentford & Isleworth
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