Oct 2008 16

How meaningful is a target of an 80% cut by 2050?2

By 2050 Ed Miliband will be more than eighty years old and no longer in government.  The new 80% target for greenhouse gas emission cuts is therefore not a standard that he will be judged by.  It is just a way of striking a pose, and an absurd one.  Since the Government came to power, and despite massive burdens being heaped on individuals and businesses, emissions have not fallen but increased by 1.6%.

The economy is in crisis with shares around the world still tumbling amid fears of a recession.  Within Ed Miliband’s own sphere of responsibility, Britain faces an energy crisis (PDF), with a huge gulf in capacity that will lead to blackouts unless urgent steps are taken.  That the Government are still fiddling with meaningless targets while the economy burns shows how utterly broken our sytem of government is.

Related Posts

  • LondonTom

    The 80% target (or commitment, more accurately) is an important one because it marks the first move by a leading industrial nation towards meaningful obligations on emissions cuts. Nevertheless, issues surrounding aviation and shipping remain, as does the need for clarity around how these cuts can be achieved in practical terms.
    What can’t be denied, however, is that this action is essential, and it is pleasing to see the UK government taking a lead. If we are to garner serious international cohesion on climate change strong leadership from powerful nations is essential.
    So yes, there are other important problems which urgently need addressing (energy not least among them), but it would serve us all well to look at the 80% figure, not as an arbitrary number, but as a challenge that simply must be met.

  • Leigh

    Saw Ed Miliband on GMTV last week. What a litle twerp. He needs to get in the real world just like that little twerp of a brother of his David ‘slop bucket kid’ Miliband. Pair of marxist twats.