Well done is better than well said
October 1st 2009 The 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will take place in Copenhagen this December, to you and me the successor to Kyoto in 1997.The Kyoto protocol started much of what business has to contend with day to day in energy legislation with the UK forming its climate change programme adding and strengthening legislation to reduce greenhouse gases and particularly carbon dioxide emissions.The UK has since gone further and introduced the legally binding Climate Change Act 2008.This has targets to reduce emissions by at least 34% by 2020 and 80% by 2050 on 1990 levels.
The result of the Copenhagen talks will commit the UK to emissions cut of 43% by 2020 if a global climate deal is reached.The blithe talk about adding 9% to something that will almost certainly not be reached anyway is typical of Government rhetoric in this area.While we adjust thermostats by a couple of degrees and change our light bulbs the Government gives the go-ahead to more runways and coal-fired power generation.
The Committee on Climate Change has said that “in the 5 years 2003-2007, emissions reductions averaged 0.5% per annum: going forward, reductions of 2-3% per annum will be required to meet the carbon budgets.A step change in the pace of reduction is needed.” If this step change is to happen then everyone needs to be on board and that includes the government.One in six of its buildings achieve the lowest rating possible for emissions.DECC’s recent advertising campaign for ACT ON CO2 has a bedtime story where floods engulf the country. It asks how we can make it a happy ending, i.e. reduce carbon dioxide emissions now. It is not a problem of scientific accuracy, there are debates over this but most agree that climate change is happening and the there is some sort of anthropogenic cause.What is a problem is that the Government has decided that because the majority think that global warming will not be a problem in their lifetime that they must be stupid.The overt scare tactics used to generate guilt about future generations do not sit well when the Government has consistently failed to act.What also riles is the idea that we are deemed too thick to take in subtle facts and require a story along the lines of turn off the lights or the puppy gets it. If this is for the adults it is insulting, if it is for children then their causal reasoning will lead them to fret that their one night light left on will quickly lead to their dog dying.
Copenhagen will lead to lots of talk and calls to action but these will only hold water with the public if the Government can be seen to be acting itself. The mantra that you must act, in business and personally, will continue, however, a contrary Government will undo any good that will come out of it. More articles from WEE News Desk: | 
