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CAFOD welcomes government first step towards tighter climate goal


Source: CAFOD

The government has taken the first step towards tightening a target which would prevent climate change from pushing even more people into poverty.

Climate Minister Claire Perry revealed at last week's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London that she will request the Committee on Climate Change to review the UK's target for reducing carbon emissions.

The move is important as the first of several stages that need to be taken in order to bring the UK's target in line with international obligations. These obligations would help to prevent the changing climate from having an even greater impact on the world's most vulnerable communities.

The announcement followed a letter, published in The Daily Telegraph, in which faith leaders representing all the countries in the Commonwealth called for heads of government at the CHOGM summit "to turn words into action" on climate change.

The Committee on Climate Change is tasked with advising the government under the Climate Change Act 2008. The Committee found in its last report in 2016 that the government's climate targets were not enough to meet the Paris Agreement goal of keeping temperature rises below 1.5 Celsius - the level necessary to prevent dangerous levels of climate change.

Meeting the target would require the government to pursue what is called a "net zero emissions" goal. This would mean that the UK would be legally obliged by 2050 not to emit more carbon dioxide than is taken out of the atmosphere.

Neil Thorns, Director of Advocacy at Catholic aid agency CAFOD, said: "This is positive news and an indication that the government is serious about its obligations towards communities around the world already seeing the cost of climate change.

"The science is clear, the direction is set under Paris and the voices of those most affected must be heard. We need to commit to zero net emissions to make sure that the world's poorest people do not pay the price of our lack of ambition and courage."

The minister made the announcement at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting which took place in London between 16-20 April. World leaders at the summit discussed the need to take action on climate change because of its impact on the world's poorest people.

39 of the 53 member states in the Commonwealth are classed as "small or vulnerable states". This means that these countries are threatened by the effects of the changing climate, such as flooding caused by sea level rises and extreme weather such as hurricanes.

Neil Thorns said: "The fact that the Minister has made this announcement during CHOGM, where many of the countries most vulnerable to the impact of climate change are represented, suggests that the UK is prepared to act on its responsibility.

"The passage of the Climate Change Act into law in 2008 was a remarkable example of UK climate leadership. Ten years on, it's important that the UK continues to show it can lead the world with the setting of a zero net emissions target.

The announcement came after a letter in The Daily Telegraph - signed by cardinals, archbishops, church moderators and rabbis from every Commonwealth member state - noted that "Commonwealth citizens, especially the poorest, struggle to thrive amidst our changing climate."

See: ICN 17 April 2018 - Faith leaders' call for world leaders to turn 'words into action' www.indcatholicnews.com/news/34728

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt was asked about the letter by Patrick Grady MP in Parliament, who urged the government to show leadership in achieving the Paris Agreement goal of keeping temperature rises below 1.5 Celsius.

Sign up to campaign with CAFOD at cafod.org.uk/howtocampaign


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