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Empty rhetoric is not enough, David Cameron warned following Paris climate speech

news release

Reacting to David Cameron’s speech at the Paris climate summit today, Friends of the Earth CEO Craig Bennett, who is also in Paris, said:

“David Cameron’s grandstanding on the international stage is riven with hypocrisy because of the complete incompetence of his government on climate change at home.

“Since the general election the UK government has taken a wrecking ball to clean energy and low carbon policies, which means the nation’s approach is now way off track.

“Support for renewable power and energy efficiency have been slashed, while fossil fuel firms have been feted with tax breaks and rule changes.

“Future generations will pay a heavy price for this government’s economic and environmental short-sightedness and its fixation with fossil fuels.

“It’s to be hoped that other nations in Paris see the UK as irrelevant rather than taking their cue from the policies of David Cameron’s government.

“Empty rhetoric is not enough: we need tough and urgent action now.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. Friends of the Earth is calling on world leaders to make a number of commitments at the Paris summit, including:

• A goal of keeping global temperatures below 1.5 degrees warming.
• Immediately ratcheting up the total scale of action to put the world on track to under 1.5 degrees warming, with a fair share of action from both richer and poorer countries.
• Boost Green Climate Fund commitments and work to deliver a clear roadmap in order to provide certainty for developing countries. This needs a global goal of $70 billion in 2016 and $85 billion in 2018, and equal funding for mitigation and adaptation.
• Introduce a Loss and Damage mechanism to support and compensate developing countries hit by the impacts of climate change that cannot be avoided.
• End all state subsidy for fossil fuels, and commit to a global phase out of all fossil fuels by 2050, with richer countries decarbonising much sooner.
• Agree a programme of support for a global initiative to deliver clean, affordable de-centralised energy to all.

Friends of the Earth is also calling on the UK Government to:

• Make a more ambitious national pledge to cut carbon – the UK’s fair share of action to keep below 1.5 degrees of warming would be at least 80% domestic emissions cut by 2030 plus increased commitment to the Green Climate Fund (see below).
• Increase commitments to fund the Green Climate Fund between now and 2020 – with increased spending starting this year, not back-loaded to 2020, and funding in the form of grants not loans.
• Set out a revised UK carbon plan with policies to achieve UK Climate Change Act commitments and any new stretch commitment that better reflects our country’s fair share of action including:
– Set a date for the phase out of UK coal-power by 2023 at the latest
– Announce a ban on exploration for new fossil fuels – including fracking and unconventional gas extraction
– End all public funding for fossil fuels
– Public support for renewable energy until it becomes cost competitive and continue to incentivise installation including through solar feed in tariffs
– Make energy efficiency a major infrastructure investment priority, and insulate 4 million homes to efficiency standard C by 2020.

2. Over half (53%) the British public feel that not enough is being done by global leaders to tackle climate change | ActionAid/YouGov poll (25 November 2015):

3. Friends of the Earth together with other civil society organisations has undertaken a review of the INDCs (Intended Nationally Determined Contributions) which shows that Russia is doing zero per cent of its fair share, Japan only a 10 per cent of its fair share, and the USA 20 per cent of its fair share of global effort.

Friends of the Earth has produced a number of briefings (PDFs) ahead of the Paris Summit including:

Climate finance;

Paris climate talks and the UK

Introduction to Paris and climate justice

Loss and damage

For press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust

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