by Dr Sue Davies
At a point when Ed Miliband is somewhat under attack, presumably over the SLab results ... and the coalition cabinet are split over whether to adopt the recommendations of the UK's internationally admired Committee on Climate Change (CCC), it is appropriate to contrast Ed's record as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with that of both the coalition and his uber-blairite predecessor John Hutton, who now advises the government on public pensions.
Ed Miliband was the first Labour Minister to really begin to understand the crucial importance of acting immediately to avert the worst impacts of climate warming. In October 2008, he announced that the British government would legislate to oblige itself to cut 80% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. In contrast David Cameron, within the next few weeks, is facing the decision of whether to reject the lesser target of 60% by 2030 recommended by the CCC and opposed by Vince Cable's Department of Innovation and Skills, together with the Department of Transport. In the words of Meg Hillier, the Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
It is scarcely credible that ministers are considering rejecting the advice. To fail to act now on climate change will secure their place in history as the least green government of our times.
And frankly given the fine words but lack of action by the Blair government, the charge of being less green is a serious one ... but essentially confirmed by Jonathan Porritt of Friends of the Earth. He described the liklihood of the Coalition living up their green promises as "vanishingly remote". Of 77 green promises, there has been little or no progress in more than 75%.
Two policies introduced by Ed Miliband are particularly noteworthy. The feed-in tarifs for solar produced electricity....no mean task given the Thatcher government's legislation to block energy production other than by the privatised providers... legislation not repealed by previous Labour ministers; and the legislation to prevent new coal fired power stations unless they could capture and bury 25% of its emissions immediately, and 100% by 2025. This decision came after talking to and being persuaded by the Kingsnorth power station demonstrators. The power station plans were shelved. In contrast, John Hutton had been content to wave an unmodified power station through planning consent, without conditions of any sort.
When elected, Ed Miliband stressed that tackling climate change was a central task for Britain and the World. The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) is expected to publish a report shortly on renewable energy that will show that the world can avoid dangerous levels of global warming by investing now in renewable energy sources. The LP should adopt (and hopefully will under EM) a programme of investment in reducing energy consumption and increasing a mix of renewable energy sources ... a programme which would create jobs, reduce fuel poverty, protect the environment and reduce climate warming.
