A disorienting sight to an Australian: How the UK got on with the climate change challenge

At 9.20 pm on Tuesday, June 4, the United Kingdom used coal-fired power for the first time in 18 days, six hours and 10 minutes. This was the longest period the UK had gone without coal since 1882 when the nation’s first coal power plant opened at Holborn in London.

Among the first interest groups to comment publicly was the Confederation of British Industries, whose director general, Carolyn Fairbairn, released a statement saying that UK business stood "squarely behind the government's commitment"."This legislation is the right response to the global climate crisis, and firms are ready to play their part in combating it,” she said. "Climate leadership can drive UK competitiveness and secure long-term prosperity.

Politicians in the UK have been overwhelmingly united in accepting the scientific consensus on climate change since at least 1989, when Margaret Thatcher - herself a scientist before entering politics - became the first leader of a major nation to call for a United Nations treaty to combat climate change.

“Before we act, we need the best possible scientific assessment: otherwise we risk making matters worse. We must use science to cast a light ahead, so that we can move step by step in the right direction.”And that is what British politicians have been able to do, doubtless aided by the fact that Thatcher herself shut down the UK’s ailing coal sector in the mid-1980s. In 2003 the UK set itself a goal of reducing its greenhouse emissions by 60 per cent from 1990 levels by 2050.

In this context May’s announcement this week of a zero net emissions target is neither extravagant nor quixotic. It is simply acting in accordance with the advice of the CCC, which predicts this new goal can be met at the same cost as the previous one. So far the UK government has already achieved a 43 per cent reduction in greenhouse gasses on 1990 levels, and it has learned that with goals in place being pursued by government and business in concert, costs keep falling.

npomalley Climate emergency all about diluting national sovereignty and promoting corporate globalism.

npomalley helpsifyouhavenuclear

npomalley The UK has always stepped up on climate conditions, I grew up in London in the 40's and 50's and we had 'pea soup fog' from fires etc. so bad you couldn't see your hand in front of you, they dealt with that way back then. Australia is way behind.

npomalley Sadly Australia still banking on coal minmining, farewell the advance Australia titled.

npomalley I know they have wind farms at sea, but that photo looks photoshopped. And can you explain how shipping wood thousands of kilometers across the Atlantic from America is “green”?

npomalley

npomalley 15 nuclear and 14 gas fired power plants replace the base load, not wind turbines!

npomalley Oz has got lots of coal n miners want to make more billions totally blind of global warming A case of extreme greed

npomalley All Australians should read this.

npomalley There are a billion sensible reasons the Democrats don’t want a climate debate And Australian direct action plan.

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