Kirsty Williams - Assembly climate change targets must rise above party politics (Brecon and Radnorshire Liberal Democrats)

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Brecon and Radnorshire Liberal Democrats <info@brecon-radnor-libdems.org.uk>

Kirsty Williams - Assembly climate change targets must rise above party politics

November 3, 2009 12:00 AM

Ahead of the Copenhagen summit on climate change, Welsh Liberal Democrats have today called for all Welsh political parties to agree on more ambitious and scientifically relevant emissions reduction targets.

Kirsty Williams, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats said:

"We're just weeks from the vital Copenhagen summit and the targets we have in Wales for tackling climate change just don't match the science. Industrial nations must reduce Greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2020 (1) if we're to avoid dangerous climate change. This is a huge challenge and failure is unthinkable, so we have a duty to look beyond party politics and show leadership in Cardiff Bay."

"The Copenhagen summit will only succeed in agreeing a global deal if heavy polluters, like Wales, demonstrate real commitment. Wales' National Assembly has a legal duty to promote Sustainable Development, a duty Ministers are only to happy to promote, but it's Scotland that has shown real ambition by setting binding 40% by 2020 targets."

"We believe the National Assembly for Wales should agree binding targets and put real pressure, with Scotland, on Gordon Brown before he represents our interests in Copenhagen. Gordon Brown must represent the whole of the UK in Copenhagen, so Wales should join with Scotland in setting aspirations higher, which we hope Labour in Westminster can match in the coming weeks."

Ends.

Notes.

(1) 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions against 1990 baseline.

Norway and Scotland have agreed 40% (or greater) by 2020 Greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

Germany looks likely to follow suit with Environment Minister recently proposing an eight-point plan that includes cutting Germany's CO2 emissions by 40 percent within 13 years.

The One Wales programme for Government outlines existing Welsh targets:

"We will aim to achieve annual carbon reduction-equivalent emissions reductions of 3% per year by 2011 in areas of devolved competence. We will set out specific sectoral targets in relation to residential, public and transport areas. We will work with the heavy industry/power generation industries to reduce emissions in those sectors."

Why 40%?

Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007

http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg3/ar4-wg3-chapter13.pdf (P748)

"Goals determine the extent of participation, the stringency of the measures and the timing of the actions. For example, to limit the temperature increase to 2°C above pre-industrial levels, developed countries would need to reduce emissions in 2020 by 10-40% below 1990 levels and in 2050 by approximately 40-95%. Emissions in developing countries would need to deviate below their current path by 2020, and emissions in all countries would need to deviate substantially below their current path by 2050. A temperature goal of less than 2°C requires earlier reductions and greater participation (and vice versa) (high agreement/much evidence). Abatement costs depend on the goal, vary by region and depend on the allocation of emission allowances among regions and the level of participation."