Telegraph: Heaps of trouble for Blair over global warming
Heaps of trouble for Blair over global warming
The Government yesterday promised an intensified drive to cut emissions of greenhouse gases after Tony Blair was accused of undermining international efforts to tackle climate change. Downing Street said ministers would "bust a gut" to meet emissions targets and officials said the Government was seeking international agreement to develop and share the technology to deal with climate change. Alistair Darling, the Transport Secretary, said the Government had not abandoned its target of a 20 per cent cut in carbon dioxide emissions by 2010. Demanding and tough targets" were necessary, he said. "We need to take action now." A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said Britain was well on track to meet its Kyoto commitments on reducing greenhouse gases. In addition, the Government is committed to publishing a new programme of measures to enable the country to meet its ambitious domestic target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 2010. Greenpeace activists blockaded three entrances to Downing Street yesterday in protest at Mr Blair's "failure" to tackle global warming. They dumped coal, which they regard as one of the most polluting fuels, across the Horse Guards Road entrance, the King Charles Street entrance and the access point of Horse Guards. Campaigners told police what they planned before a lorry with the slogan "Blair - Climate Failure" tipped mounds of coal in front of the gates to No 10 at 7.30am. Greenpeace claims Mr Blair is "rowing back" on his commitment to the Kyoto protocol and the environment charity WWF criticised his record on tackling global warming.
