Failure to sign up to 10:10 sends out wrong message, say Lib Dems

Liberal Democrat Shadow Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Simon Hughes said: “This is a bad day for Parliament, Labour and the planet. 

“The Government has failed to understand the level of public support for the 10:10 campaign or to get the message that people want real political action now to tackle dangerous climate change.”

The 10:10 campaign, launched last month, calls on businesses, organisations and individuals to pledge to cut their CO2 emissions – the idea is that by doing so they will put pressure on the Government to make a similar commitment at a national level.

Businesses are asked by the campaign to get as close to the 10 per cent target cut as possible – with a minimum cut of three per cent – and to encourage customers, staff and suppliers to sign up too. 

1,200 business have put their names to the campaign so far – along with 35,000 individuals and 850 schools.

Although the cabinet, shadow cabinet and Liberal Democrats have also signed up, ministers argued that it would "make no sense" for the Government estate to do so too.

Instead, Joan Ruddock, the energy minister, announced £20 million to help departments make carbon reductions further and faster across their estates.

Daniel Vockins, 10:10 campaign manager, said: "It is disappointing that the Government wasn’t ready to commit itself to 10 per cent next year, but they didn’t rule it out – they said that they don’t know if it is possible, or how much it would cost. 10:10 hopes we can find out the answers to these questions. 

"In response to the 10:10 community’s actions the Government have promised an extra £20 million to pay for more emissions reductions from their departments. It’s not 10 per cent. But it’s a start."

The defeat of the Lib Dem motion came in a week when the Prime Minister sought to take the lead on climate change – telling the Major Economies Forum that a deal in Copenhagen was the last chance to avoid “catastrophe” for the planet.

Following the Commons defeat, Janet Convery, head of the schools and youth team at ActionAid (which is the schools’ delivery partner for 10:10) said the Government needed to put its money where its mouth is. 

“This is just about the Government estate – the House of Commons – joining 10:10. And if they can’t do something as simple as that – something people all over the country are signing up to and saying ‘yes, we’ll have a go at this’ – then it just shows a lack or urgency; a lack of imagination," she said.

Hughes also expressed the concern that by opposing the motion, the Government was failing to send out a clear message on climate change.

 “Britain needs a Government which sets an example and delivers immediate and ambitious carbon reductions in the UK,” he said. 

“Today the Government has stopped a clear message from going to the rest of the world that Britain will take action on climate change now.” 

But Vockins remained upbeat. "It’s staggering that almost ten thousand people emailed their MPs in just 48 hours to tell the politicians we need a step change in their response to the climate challenge," he said.

"The British public is doing its bit, and now politicians of all stripes have started putting aside party politics to follow."

Last week, the Environment Agency signed up to the 10:10 campaign.