Blair's a climate coward (From Gazette Series)

Blair's a climate coward

TONY BLAIR has completely lost any credibility on climate change. In his address to the European Parliament in Brussels to set out his priorities for the six-month UK presidency of the EU he devoted just half a sentence to the issue. Yet in the past Mr Blair has said that climate change is the greatest threat we face and that it will be a priority for the British presidency.

It is now widely accepted that to combat climate change, rich countries must cut greenhouse gas emissions far beyond the targets laid down in the Kyoto Protocol. Yet under this Government greenhouse gas emissions have risen so that even ourinadequate targets look set to be missed. The Government has even attempted to increase CO2 emissions allowable to British industry and leaked documents suggest that the negotiation of targets have been quietly dropped from the G8 agenda.

Tony Blair jetsetting around capital cities and trying to lecture the rest of Europe about the merits of modernisation and competition, may fool some that this is global leadership. The reality is, that this is global cowardice. Mr Blair has completely undermined his pledge to show "international leadership" on climate change.

We have 10 to 15 years to prevent irreversible warming. We cannot avoid the need for massive emissions reductions targets now.

Martin Whiteside Hillside Claypits Lane Lypiatt Stroud