David Cameron stepped into a cabinet row this week and accepted the recommendations from the government’s independent climate advisors for ambitious targets that would lead to a 50% cut in carbon emissions by 2025.
And this wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our supporters. 10,245 Greenpeace supporters sent messages to Cameron alongside thousands from 38 degrees and other organisations.
This puts the UK back in the race to reduce climate emissions and sends a clear signal to industry and investors that the UK is committed to a low carbon economy. It also means the creation of new jobs and factories in clean energy industries is more likely and puts us back in the race to compete with China, Germany and California in clean technology.
It also means the UK is the first country in the world to have tough legally binding carbon targets through to 2027.
Truly something to be proud of. Well done to all of you for helping to make sure this government sticks to its green promises.
In Chris Huhne’s announcement today he said that a package of measures for energy intensive industries (like the steel industry) would be announced by the end of this year to help convert them to low carbon industries. Crucially this does not affect the carbon targets announced today.
Now Cameron needs to build on this by giving the Green Investment Bank the powers it needs to unlock the billions needed to deliver on these targets.
You can help us make sure government sticks to these targets by making a donation and signing up to campaign with us.
We’ve got carbon emissions targets we can still be proud of
I'm in equal parts poud and sentient that the govenment will achieve 50% cuts via a massive expansion of domestic nuclear provision. So congratualtions Greenpeace on many years of legal battles to come.
Let me be an optimist at least for today.
Nice Work. Now we need to make sure they meet they meet the target. Let's keep the pressure on!
Maybe we should all say thank you to David Cameron to encourage him to stick to his promise.
I would like to help our planet reducing the CO2 emissions. Please it must be considered by taking decisions. I am agree with green peace campagne.
I agree with Bronwen, thanks are due. I think it's important to support politicians for their environmentally-considerate choices once made, as well as pressing them beforehand to do so. They should know they have backing, not just feel out on a limb and 'got at'. We all need encouragement, helping us have courage to do what's right and to keep going when that's difficult!
We may have targets to be proud of Cameron, but we're still going to be lumped with a fine upwards of £300 Million from the EU for the state of the ground level pollution in your capital and your apathy to do anything effective about it.
Lies and more Lies from Westminster. Saor Alba.
We are never likely to win against the government because its all about money,economy and corporate greed. David Cameron is a BIG liar like all of them!!
I agree with Andrew Stephen - this is only good news if the government also gives up its nuclear plans. Nobody who read the recent Greenpeace blog about Chernobyl will accept new nuclear stations in the UK.
I find it hard to be positive about the targets to cut emissions, especially since airport expansion such as that proposed for LYDD airport in Kent still seems very much on the agenda.
The government seems to have made a huge commitment to cut on CO2. Fossel fuels are addictive for the economy and will not be economically poitive to cut on as the environment is seen as having no economic value. This will no longer be the case if we destroy our planet, the planet could bite back on all of as we are exceeding the boundaries of what we can do to the planet and still expect a habitable world for people to remain. This is the inevitable danger we will all face. There is no way within our current understanding can we work out wich is really more dangerous, the danger to our world from neuclear power or CO2 emissions. But both are very dangerous. There will a temporary bite for the economy to do practical ways of reducing CO2 emissions. This bite equivelent to an economic depression is also inevitable as fossel fuels will not last forever. When the supply of fossel fuels become scarce and the demand far exceeds the available amounts it will become very expensive. This will cause a worse depression than simply to aim for a low carbon economy before fossel fuels become more expensive than economically viable. This is only a small part of the wider picture as why we can't keep our dependence on this scource of energy. The question is, will a solution be found before it is too late.
Sounds Good! But st greenpeace have been all quiet on the south west fand it seems elsewhereregarding environmentaly damaging incinerators being constructed in residential areas. Here in North yard Dockyard an establisment supposedly installed for the country's defence, The have succumbed by being offerred a a heating bribe to the erection of a German toxic stack and almost a hundred lorries that will eventually enter there protected site bringing the waste fro Plymouth,Torquay and Exeter, This project was secretly agreed behind closed doors. C'mon "Greenpeace" provde us with a Rainbow Warrior to warf of the Trojan Horse destined in our midst'
This is bad, this is really bad!
What aload of hogwash.
Read Monbiot in todays guardian.We may be reducing emmissions,but the government is lying (as Usual ) about the figures.We are now importing lots of goods that we used to manufacture ourselves.These goods and their cabon fooprints (made in places like China ) arent added to any statistics,so even if Cameron says we are reducing our carbon emmissions we are not they are still growing but made in a different countries...
I REALLY don't give a shit about climate change!
Lets make sure they do what has been promised; we'll be watching...
i am with you.
Maybe we should say thanks to Cameron for what he has said he is going to do, BUT when was the last time they actually did what they said. Usually a couple of months down the line they find a reason not to do it. It's up to the people of this and all other countries to stop being so apathetic (present company accepted) and get up out of thier armchairs and do something about it. I can sort of respect someone who openly say's I don't want to know or can't be bothered, but I really hate armchair warriors. I've been around for 60 years and have seen politicians of all parties lie their way to the top and line their own pockets, I'm not enclined to believe them, whats that saying 'seeing is believing'. Prove you will do it then I'll say thanks. Maybe.... aftr all it's what they get paid a fortune to do.
lets try for 100%
One thing that was pointed out by a Chinese blogger in a recent documentary about China's unabated industrialisation and its impact on the environment ,was how China, and other states, wnat to be viewed in the 21st century. "Do they want to be seen as strong and powerful, or modern?" The former will seem continued fossil-fuel dependency and environmental destruction, and the other will see the opposite (renewable energy use, legalisation of cannabis etc).
There are no modern countries on this planet, that is for sure.
The AGW theory is a load of hogwash. The government's chief scientific adviser has admiited that they have no proof - they can't think of anything else. Unfortunately the government has fallen for it egged on by propagandists like Greenpeace. Their claims are totally inaccurate - they claimed that each passenger on a long haul flight generates ten tons of carbon dioxide. An Oxford University professor calculated three tons.
Hi.
I hope this really happens and not alot of empty promises!
We really need to change the global buisness empires from devastating what's left of our fragile planet, and in turn provide a brighter future for our children
Cameron's father-in-law is going to make millions from his wind farm. Clegg's wife is director of the Spanish construction company Acciona which builds windfarms and has put in bids across the UK.
Follow the money.
Renewables can certainly work on a small scale in certain areas but these supersize windturbines and windfarms are inefficient and require conventional power to back them up. They are inefficient because of the nature of the wind: it can suddenly drop and the power cannot be saved easily.
Never mind the impact on bats, birds and other eco-systems. Never mind the distress that people feel seeing the natural world destroyed.
Do not be lulled into thinking this is going to save us. On the contrary we are destroying more of our precious environment in the name of saving the planet.
