[{"topic":"Climate change","id":"43949","proposer":"24794","edm":"2845","session":"2010-12","title":"Edinburgh As The Location Of Green Investment Bank","text":"That this Houseis pleased to note the decision of the Government to locate the Green Investment Bank in Edinburgh; agrees that Edinburgh is the right choice for the location of the Green Investment Bank because of its strength in depth in both financial services and green technology; believes that this co-location will ensure the bank's future success; recognises that the bank will play a vital role in the transition to a low-carbon economy; welcomes the initial 3 billion investment; further welcomes the creation of 50 to 70 jobs in Scotland's capital by 2015; and further notes with thanks the contribution of the business, academic and third sector communities to the capital's successful bid.","date":"2012-03-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"43395","proposer":"10630","edm":"2307","session":"2010-12","title":"Micro Combined Heat And Power","text":"That this House notes that micro combined heat and power (mCHP) has the potential for significant reductions to household carbon dioxide emissions and fuel bills; further notes that the vast majority of residential heating systems according to the Renewable Heat Incentive's Regulatory Impact Assessment and the Fourth Carbon Budget report will continue to be gas fired for at least a further two decades; further notes that most of the world's technology and manufacturing development for mCHP is currently based in the UK with consequent opportunities for considerable exports, and so welcomes the warm words of the Minister for Climate Change about mCHP during the proceedings of the Public Bill Committee on the Energy Bill [Lords] of 21 June 2011, written evidence, columns 444-6 and his statement that his Department has `progressed the agenda' forand `thatthe industry will be presenting Government with proposals for progressing this technology', 18 October 2011, Official Report, columns 804-5W; further notes that eight leading companies in the industry have now declared their joint vision for a large increase in the number of installations by 2020; and calls on the Government to bring forward policies to achieve that objective and to produce a report withinone year of its vision for this important technology.","date":"2011-10-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"43296","proposer":"11199","edm":"2216","session":"2010-12","title":"Taiwan's Participation In International Civil Aviation Organisation And Un Framework Convention On Climate Change","text":"That this House supports Taiwan's continued efforts to participate in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO); commends the fact that the European Parliament unanimously passed a resolution on 11 May 2011 reiterating its support for Taiwan's meaningful participation as an observer in relevant international organisations, such as the UNFCCC, World Health Organisation and ICAO; recognises that Taiwan is a key transport hub in international air travel, serving more than one million flights and 40 million passengers per year; notes that Taiwan suffers unnecessary obstacles in terms of remaining up to date with the latest ICAO standards and procedures as a result of its exclusion, which leads to risks to international aviation safety; further recognises that, being deeply integrated in the global economy, Taiwan both contributes to and is affected by global warming; acknowledges that Taiwan can contribute to and benefit from global coordination against climate change via participation in the UNFCCC; and calls on the Government to support efforts for Taiwan to be invited to participate in the meetings and activities of ICAO and UNFCCC as an observer.","date":"2011-10-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"42878","proposer":"10630","edm":"1804A2","session":"2010-12","title":"Fourth Carbon Budget","text":"leave out from `accept' to `by' in Line 2 and insert `all the recommendations in the Fourth Carbon Budget report'.","date":"2011-05-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"42872","proposer":"10133","edm":"1804A1","session":"2010-12","title":"Fourth Carbon Budget","text":"leave out from `Budget' to end and add `as well as the other key recommendations made by the Committee on Climate Change in their report on the Fourth Carbon Budget.'.","date":"2011-05-13","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"42867","proposer":"24946","edm":"1804","session":"2010-12","title":"Fourth Carbon Budget","text":"That this House calls on the Government to accept a level of 1950 megatons for the Fourth Carbon Budget, as recommended by the Committee on Climate Change.","date":"2011-05-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"42837","proposer":"10658","edm":"1777","session":"2010-12","title":"Sustainable Energy (Local Plans) Bill","text":"That this House believes that it is vitally important to involve local authorities in efforts to combat climate change and promote sustainable energy in their area; notes that the Sustainable Energy (Local Plans) Bill, introduced by a cross-party group of hon. Members, will set in motion that process by giving councils a greater role in drawing up and implementing sustainable energy plans that will help combat climate change, protect energy security and alleviate fuel poverty; and therefore supports the measures in the Bill and hopes they will be enacted soon.","date":"2011-05-04","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"42742","proposer":"10428","edm":"1687","session":"2010-12","title":"Independent Advice On Climate Change","text":"That this House recalls its decision in 2008 in favour of establishing a Climate Change Act and to accept the views expressed by leaders of all the main political parties in the UK to establish an independent body to set and enforce targets for reducing carbon emissions to meet the 80 per cent. reduction criteria by the year 2050; notes that in December 2010 the Committee on Climate Change advised the Government in detail on the speed necessary to cut carbon emissions over the coming decades, since when no response has been received on this matter; and calls on the Prime Minister to live up to his own promise to show our intention to get to grips with this problem by accepting such sound advice on this worrying matter.","date":"2011-03-31","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"42572","proposer":"10074","edm":"1530","session":"2010-12","title":"Wwf's Earth Hour 2011 Campaign And The Green Economy","text":"That this House supports, in the organisation's 50th anniversary year, WWF's Earth Hour 2011, during which hundreds of thousands of people across the country will switch off their lights for one hour at 8.30 pm on Saturday 26 March 2011 as a call for continued action to address climate change, both in the UK and globally; welcomes the fact that successive Governments have identified climate change as a priority requiring urgent attention, both through domestic legislation and in international negotiations including at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); recognises the global lead that the UK has shown by enacting the Climate Change Act 2008; considers that the goal of decarbonisation of the power sector by 2030 and establishing a sustainable green economy by the middle ofthe century should guide decision-making across Government; further supports the continued implementation of policies and measures in line with the Climate Change Act to be a priority for Government; acknowledges the key roles for the UK and EU in demonstrating the economic, environmental and societal benefits to be gained from a rapid transition to a prosperous low-carbon, green economy; and calls on the Government to continue to commit to ambitious action to tackle climate change, in the UK, in Europe and within international negotiations including the UNFCCC.","date":"2011-03-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"42069","proposer":"24892","edm":"1079","session":"2010-12","title":"Cut The Carbon In Construction Campaign","text":"That this House believes that the Government's Carbon Reduction Commitment, together with the forthcoming Energy Security and Green Economy Bill, provide a clear opportunity to boost employment and economic performance within the UK construction industry; notes that radical change in the construction industry's skills base and practices will be essential in achieving these outcomes; supports the Cut the Carbon in Construction campaign led by CITB-ConstructionSkills, the Federation of Master Builders and the National Specialist Contractors Council which seeks to ensure that companies and individuals have the right skills to deliver carbon reduction initiatives for homes and businesses; and calls on the Government to support a unified approach that cuts across differing departmental responsibilities on green skills.","date":"2010-11-23","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"42041","proposer":"10377","edm":"1051","session":"2010-12","title":"Climate Change Initiative","text":"That this House believes that a new direction is needed in order to ensure that Britain is a world leader in the development of new green technologies as well as increasing energy efficiency so as to protect people from the most unhealthy and inefficient homes; notes the need for a strong Green Deal as part of the Energy Security and Green Economy Bill to ensure that by 2020 seven million homes in the UK are energy efficient, reducing emissions by 60 per cent.; and calls for the prioritisation within the Bill of the establishment of one common climate fund to help developing countries adapt to climate change, develop low carbon economies and protect their environment.","date":"2010-11-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"41859","proposer":"11707","edm":"878","session":"2010-12","title":"Biodiversity And Poverty","text":"That this House notes that 2010 is the UN's International Year for Biodiversity; believes that the alarming rate of biodiversity loss is not only an environmental problem but also threatens people's livelihoods, human well-being and economic progress, as well as undermining capacity to address other major challenges such as climate change; further believes that the 10th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (Nagoya, Japan, October 2010) is an opportunity for governments to signpost sustainable waysto manage the planet's limited resources to reduce global poverty, as are the upcoming international negotiations on climate change in Cancun; welcomes the report Banking on Biodiversity: a natural way out of poverty, published by the International Institute for Environment and Development and BirdLife International to coincide with these important international meetings; agrees with this report that human prosperity is rooted in nature's riches and that governments must fully recognise the economic value of natural capital or risk deepening poverty, escalating climate change and irreversible damage to the biological wealth on which all humankinddepends; and calls on the Government to contribute positively to the greener economic thinking that is required and to advocate greater integration of strategies to reduce poverty, tackle climate change and halt biodiversity loss.","date":"2010-10-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"41832","proposer":"10383","edm":"853","session":"2010-12","title":"Action On Climate Change","text":"That this House recognises that there is a climate emergency and that the catastrophic destabilisation of the global climate represents one of the greatest threats that humanity faces; further recognises that there is a need to reduce the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide to 350 parts per million or below; further believes it is impossible to predict how close the world is to dangerous tipping points, and that immediate action is required to enact a programme of emergency measures with substantial emissions reductions in the short term of the order of 10 per cent. within one year, with a longer-term goal of achieving a Zero Carbon Britain by 2030; further believes that at least two hours of prime time television per week should be used to explain the gravity of the crisis to the public, that domestic flights should be phased out, a speed limit of 55 miles per hour introduced and unabated coal usage reduced; further believes that investment in greening the economy can be an effective way of reviving the economy and,in thatspirit, urgent investment should be made in energy efficiency and renewable energy, public transport and the retro-fitting of efficient insulation to existing housing stock, leading to the creation of a million green jobs within one year; and further believes that the introduction of such measures would send a positive signal to other countries in the negotiations for an international emissions reductions treaty.","date":"2010-10-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"41792","proposer":"10521","edm":"826","session":"2010-12","title":"Climate Change","text":"That this House believes that new and emerging technologies such as passive flue gas heat retention systems (PFGHR), voltage optimisation and standby down-powering could have a significant effect in combating climate change and fuel poverty; notes that the previous Minister, the former hon. Member for Stafford, agreed to include PFGHR systems in the new microgeneration strategy and that the current Ministers, the hon. Members for Wealden and Bexhill and Battle, tabled an amendment to the Energy Bill 2009 in support of these technologies; further notes, however, that these technologies do not feature in the Government's 2050 Pathways Analysis for carbon dioxide reduction; and calls on the Government to ensure that PFGHR systems are included in the new microgeneration strategy and that all these technologies are included in future pathways to achieve requiredcarbon dioxidereductions, and that the amendment to the previous Energy Bill is included in the future Energy Security and Green Economy Bill.","date":"2010-10-13","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"41765","proposer":"11494","edm":"799","session":"2010-12","title":"Corporate Reporting Of Carbon Emissions","text":"That this House believes that tackling climate change is one of the most urgent issues that the UK faces; fully supports the urgent need for the UK to shift to a low carbon economy and to take advantage of the opportunities of a green economy; notes that investment decisions will be crucial to the success of this transition and that transparency and greater information on carbon emissions and risks will be essential to ensure sustainable investment flows; further notes that companies' expanding carbon intensive projects such as the extraction of oil sands in Canada will face increasing future carbon liabilities as the carbon price increases; further believes that investors should be aware of these risks and have access to the information they need to manage them; recalls that a survey in 2009 of 39 fund managers who are responsible for 6 trillion of funds found that 86 per cent. were in favour of mandatory emissions reporting by companies; further notes the requirement in the Climate Change Act to introduce mandatory carbon reporting by 2012; and calls on the Government to introduce regulations on corporate greenhouse gas reporting as soon as possible.","date":"2010-10-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"41766","proposer":"24794","edm":"800","session":"2010-12","title":"Green Investment Bank And Edinburgh","text":"That this House notes the barriers obstructing vital investment in the development and deployment of low-carbon technology; further notes the need for Government action to meet carbon emission targets and help the transition to a low-carbon economy; welcomes the findings of the Green Investment Bank Commission's report that proposed the establishment of a fully independent, accountable Green Investment Bank (GIB) to overcome difficulties of low carbon investment, working as part of overall Government policy; applauds the commitment from all sides of the House to the establishment of the GIB; further notes Scotland's enormous potential for low carbon industry, harnessing tidal, wave and wind energy; and believes that any such bank should be based in Edinburgh, a city already renowned for its financial services generally and experience in green investment in particular.","date":"2010-10-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"41195","proposer":"11494","edm":"272","session":"2010-12","title":"Low Carbon Transition","text":"That this House welcomes the cross party commitment for a rapid transition to a low carbon and resource efficient economy; recognises that the challenges of climate change and resource depletion require urgent action; believes that explicit policies are required to stimulate UK jobs and wealth creation in a global environmental goods and services sector that is currently valued at \u00a33.2 trillion; further welcomes the Aldersgate Group's report Accelerating the Transition: Priorities for the first 100 days of the new Government, which calls for quick and decisive action to ensure an effective carbon price to help drive investments in low carbon technologies, the creation of a Green Investment Bank with a significant level of capital, a more comprehensive industrial strategy to maximise the economic opportunities for the UK, greater accountability across government departments to ensure cross-cutting challenges are effectively addressed and the implementation of a national energy efficiency delivery plan; and recognises that the achievement of these objectives would help reduce the UK's carbon emissions and reliance on overseas energy and ensure the new green technologies and jobs of the future are developed and deployed in the UK.","date":"2010-06-17","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"40690","proposer":"11489","edm":"1058","session":"2009-10","title":"Aberystwyth University Queen's Anniversary Prize","text":"That this House congratulates Aberystwyth University for receiving a Queen's Anniversary Prize for the pioneering work carried out on plant breeding at the University's Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS); notes the work that has been carried out by IBERS to improve the quality of grass for grazing animals, reducing the methane emissions of livestock, which is crucial to combating climate change; further notes that IBERS has developed grass varieties for use in turf for sporting events, including on Centre Court at Wimbledon; acknowledges the importance of plant breeding research in meeting future challenges such as food and water security, sustainable living and overpopulation; welcomes the University's continuing contribution to plant research in Wales, the UK and globally; notes, however, that the University is having to make cuts to IBERS as a result of a shortfall of \u00a32.4 million; and urges the Government to do all it can to continue to support the research carried out at IBERS.","date":"2010-03-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"40605","proposer":"11923","edm":"985","session":"2009-10","title":"Transition Town Kendal And South Lakes","text":"That this House congratulates the communities of Kendal and South Lakes on their official designation as transition communities under the transition towns movement; notes that transition town status is awarded because of a commitment to tackle climate change through practical action by individuals, businesses, schools, public sector bodies and the wider community; and supports the transition towns movement more widely and pledges its support to transition communities as they seek to tackle climate change through concerted action.","date":"2010-03-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"40356","proposer":"10006","edm":"764","session":"2009-10","title":"Climate Change Science","text":"That this House recognises the overwhelming evidence which confirms that human activity is contributing to dangerous climate change; believes that public policy on climate change should be based on peer-reviewed scientific evidence; further believes that the process by which all such evidence is assessed and presented should be open and available to public scrutiny; deplores any failure of detail in the analysis and presentation contained in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report; is concerned that such failures have endangered public confidence in the need for policies aimed at enhancing energy security, reducing fuel poverty, cutting waste and energy bills and improving investment opportunities in clean technologies which will benefit the UK's competitiveness and ability to create sustainable employment; and urges the IPCC to take all necessary measures to ensure public confidence in the methodology that applies to its next assessment.","date":"2010-02-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"40357","proposer":"10790","edm":"765","session":"2009-10","title":"Climate Change And The Earth Hour 2010 Campaign","text":"That this House calls for cross-party support for WWF's Earth Hour 2010 campaign which seeks to persuade over a billion people worldwide to switch off their lights for an hour at 8.30 pm on 27 March 2010 to demonstrate to political leaders the far-reaching public desire for an urgent, fair, ambitious, binding and scientifically credible global deal on climate change; notes that the Copenhagen Accord failed to establish a sufficiently ambitious or binding framework capable of tackling the threat of climate change; further notes the urgent need for a legally binding global compact which sets stringent carbon emissions reductions targets at global and national levels; further notes that such a framework must include a mechanism for the independent monitoring and verification of progress; further calls on the Government to seek a new international mechanism to provide sustained and sufficient finance additional to existing commitments and which will be committed to support mitigation and adaptation and to prevent deforestation in developing nations; recognises the lead the UK showed at the climate negotiations in Copenhagen; and further calls on the Government to take a leadership role in securing jobs in the UK's green economy and in safeguarding lives, livelihoods and the planet.","date":"2010-02-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"40312","proposer":"11522","edm":"721","session":"2009-10","title":"Boiler Scrappage Scheme","text":"That this House notes with approval the boiler scrappage scheme and the endeavour against climate change which is its motivation; recognises that in its current form some people who are forced to run expensive and inefficient boilers are ineligible for the scheme; and calls on the Government to reappraise the scheme so that the most inefficient boiler systems are eligible for the scheme, irrespective of the means by which they warm the home.","date":"2010-01-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"40293","proposer":"10647","edm":"703","session":"2009-10","title":"Taiwan And The United Nations Framework Convention On Climate Change","text":"That this House supports Taiwan's campaign for meaningful participation in international organisations; notes with concern Taiwan's continued exclusion from meaningful participation in United Nations-specialised agencies; further notes with concern that Taiwan is an island threatened by rising sea levels and extreme weather events; recognises that Taiwan has passed a Renewable Energy Act and drafted a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act; calls for Taiwan's meaningful participation in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); welcomes Taiwan's bid to participate in the activities and mechanisms of the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol and post-2012 agreements; and further calls on the Government to support Taiwan's justifiable bid for UNFCCC observer status in order to institutionalise Taiwan's meaningful participation in UNFCCC activities.","date":"2010-01-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"40097","proposer":"10684","edm":"524","session":"2009-10","title":"Recognising Climate Change","text":"That this House agrees that climate change is happening and is man-made; calls for hon. Members on all sides of the House to recognise this fact, which has the support of the overwhelming majority of the scientific community; and calls for cross-party support in tackling this problem that affects all of our constituents.","date":"2009-12-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"39917","proposer":"11489","edm":"357","session":"2009-10","title":"Aberystwyth And Energy Saving","text":"That this House welcomes Aberystwyth Friends of the Earth's campaign for local shops and businesses to turn unnecessary lights and equipment off to save energy; notes the positive reaction from many local businesses to the campaign; acknowledges that energy efficiency is a crucial part of reducing carbon emissions, and that many people making seemingly small changes can make a significant contribution to reducing carbon emissions; urges hon. Members to turn off unnecessary lights and equipment in their offices; and wishes the campaign every success in persuading people to change their behaviour.","date":"2009-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"39882","proposer":"10657","edm":"322","session":"2009-10","title":"Copenhagen And Green Information Technology","text":"That this House notes the progress achieved over the past two years by the UN-ITU and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development groups on green information technology led in part by UK officials; congratulates them on their work; and calls on the UK delegation at the Copenhagen summit on 7 to 18 December 2009 to ensure that green information technology strategies are at the heart of the UK's negotiations.","date":"2009-12-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"39812","proposer":"10647","edm":"269","session":"2009-10","title":"Taiwan's Participation In The Un Framework Convention On Climate Change","text":"That this House regrets that Taiwan has been excluded from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its related mechanisms; notes that the 15th Session of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties will convene between 7 and 18 December 2009; recognises that global warming is not restricted by political boundaries and there should be no gap or weak spot in the collective international network to reduce global carbon emissions and combat climate change; contends that the UNFCCC should not ignore the basic rights of the 23 million people of Taiwan; applauds Taiwan's voluntary declaration of reduction goals and schedules for greenhouse gases and its commitment to assuming its responsibilities and obligations as part of the global community; welcomes the WHO Director General's recent invitation for Taiwan to attend the World Health Assembly as an observer; further notes that Paragraph 6 of Article 7 of the UNFCCC states that observers to UN specialised agencies may be represented as observers at sessions of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties; observes that other non-UN member states were likewise made parties to the UNFCCC; strongly encourages the Government to support Taiwan's justifiable bid for UNFCCC observer status in order to institutionalise Taiwan's meaningful participation in UNFCCC activities; and urges the UNFCCC Executive Secretary to invite Taiwan as an observer.","date":"2009-11-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"39772","proposer":"10790","edm":"229","session":"2009-10","title":"Livestock And Climate Change","text":"That this House welcomes the report from World Watch called Livestock and climate change: what if the key actors in climate change are cows, pigs and chickens?, which builds on the report published in 2006 by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, Livestock's Long Shadow, both of which demonstrate that breeding livestock for human consumption contributes at least 18 per cent. of global greenhouse gas emissions and probably at lot more; therefore calls upon the Government to respond to these reports and incorporate an analysis of livestock greenhouse gas emissions in its climate change policy development; further calls upon the Government to introduce pro-vegetarian policies; and calls on the Climate Change Committee to consider how to address livestock emissions in its future advice to the Government.","date":"2009-11-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"39729","proposer":"10790","edm":"189","session":"2009-10","title":"Climate Change","text":"That this House recognises that there is a climate emergency and that the catastrophic destabilisation of global climate represents the greatest threat that humanity faces; further recognises that the world is already above the safe level of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration for a stable planet; further recognises the need to reduce this level to 350 particles per million or below; believes it is impossible to predict how close the world is to dangerous tipping points and that action to reduce emissions now is worth considerably more than doing the same later; further believes that immediate action is required to enact a program of emergency measures with substantial emissions reductions in the short term of the order of 10 per cent. by the end of 2010; further believes that the majority of money spent on reviving the economy should be on green measures and that at least two hours of prime time television per week should be used to explain the gravity of the crisis to the public; further believes that unabated coal and domestic flights should be phased out by the end of 2010, that a speed limit of 55 miles per hour should be introduced and investment made in energy efficiency and renewable energy, public transport and the retro-fitting of efficient insulation to existing housing stock technologies leading to the creation of a million green jobs by the end of 2010; and further believes that the introduction of such measures would send a positive signal to other countries leading up to the UN climate change summit in Copenhagen and beyond.","date":"2009-11-24","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"39734","proposer":"10222","edm":"194","session":"2009-10","title":"Deforestation, Climate Change And Livestock","text":"That this House notes that global livestock and animal feed production contributes 18 per cent. of global greenhouse gas emissions and is currently the most significant driver of biodiversity loss worldwide; further notes that the large-scale conversion of forests and other valuable habitats into croplands for the production of animal feeds such as soy for intensive livestock farming is a cause of particular concern; recognises the associated impacts on small farmers and communities in developing countries who are often forced off their land; urges the Government to undertake an assessment of the scale and impact of this trend and the UK's role in it, and to gauge whether the UK's livestock industry has become overly dependent on soy-based animal feed which has such an unwelcome and unsustainable impact upon the environment; and calls on the Government to bring forward the measures necessary to reduce the UK's impact on global greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss from the livestock sector whilst avoiding the export of these impacts overseas and supporting a viable, sustainable and thriving UK farming industry.","date":"2009-11-24","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"39562","proposer":"11245","edm":"25","session":"2009-10","title":"Climate Change And Carbon Dioxide Emissions","text":"That this House recognises that the UK should reduce carbon dioxide emissions by at least 80 per cent. in 2050 to reduce the devastating effect of climate change on weather conditions, natural habitats, wildlife, economic resources and human life; notes the estimated cost of meeting carbon budgets in 2020 will be less than one per cent. of gross domestic product; further notes that meeting carbon budgets and building a low-carbon economy also presents the UK with significant economic opportunities; further recognises the Government's commitment to tackling climate change; but urges all political parties to develop the much-needed greener policies to deal with the challenge of climate change.","date":"2009-11-18","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"39436","proposer":"13735","edm":"2181","session":"2008-09","title":"Presidential Motorcades And Mitigating Climate Change","text":"That this House notes the comments made on the Andrew Marr Show on BBC1 on 25 October by the Foreign Secretary that he thought the appointment of Tony Blair as European Union President `would be very good for Britain, as well as very good for Europe...We need someone who, when he or she lands in Beijing or Washington or Moscow, the traffic does need to stop, the talks do need to begin at a very, very high level'; is surprised that, as a former Environment Secretary, he should be putting a political premium on the use of climate-polluting presidential motorcades; recalls the Foreign Secretary stressing at a United Nations Climate Change conference as recently as 8 September 2009 the important role the European Union can play in the Copenhagen climate negotiations, stating that the United Kingdom could help provide the marching orders it thought were necessary for Europeans around the world who were committed to making a deal; and calls on Ministers in Her Majesty's Government to keep focused on strategies to combat climate change, and to avoid advocacy of unnecessarily extravagant modes of official transport while carrying out their official responsibilities.","date":"2009-10-28","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"39365","proposer":"10790","edm":"2131","session":"2008-09","title":"Televised Debate On Climate Change","text":"That this House notes that in recent general elections, climate change has not featured as a high profile issue; further notes that recent opinion polls show a considerable level of public scepticism on the subject; therefore calls on the leaders of the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties to hold a national televised debate devoted solely to climate change; and further calls on national television stations to join in this demand.","date":"2009-10-21","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"39366","proposer":"10428","edm":"2132","session":"2008-09","title":"Carbon Reduction Funds","text":"That this House agrees that in order to prevent further climate-related catastrophies, radical action is required at global and local levels; understands that one step towards achieving this goal would be the involvement of local authorities in reducing carbon dioxide emissions via the introduction of measures to reduce local road traffic in their areas; and calls on the Government to help local authorities towards these endeavours by providing sufficient finance to establish a Carbon Reduction Fund for local authorities to use to improve public transport, encourage and make it safer for people to walk and cycle in or around their communities.","date":"2009-10-21","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"39285","proposer":"10790","edm":"2057","session":"2008-09","title":"Climate Change (No. 2)","text":"That this House recognises that there is a climate emergency and that the catastrophic destabilisation of global climate represents the greatest threat that humanity faces; further recognises that the world is already above the safe level of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration for a stable planet; further recognises the need to reduce this level to 350 particles per million or below; believes it is impossible to predict how close the world is to dangerous tipping points and that action to reduce emissions now is worth considerably more than doing the same later; further believes that immediate action is required to enact a program of emergency measures with substantial emissions reductions in the short term of the order of 10 per cent. by the end of 2010; further believes that the majority of money spent on reviving the economy should be on green measures and that at least two hours of prime time television per week should be used to explain the gravity of the crisis to the public; further believes that unabated coal and domestic flights should be phased out by the end of 2010, that a speed limit of 55 miles per hour should be introduced and investment made in energy efficiency and renewable energy, public transport and the retro-fitting of efficient insulation to existing housing stock technologies leading to the creation of a million green jobs by the end of 2010; and further believes that the introduction of such measures would send a positive signal to other countries leading up to the UN climate change summit in Copenhagen and beyond.","date":"2009-10-15","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"39282","proposer":"10431","edm":"2052","session":"2008-09","title":"Climate Change","text":"That this House believes that climate change poses a serious threat to all; welcomes the Prime Minister's pledge to lead the UK delegation to Copenhagen this December; acknowledges the urgent need for a fair, ambitious and binding agreement there; notes that industrialised countries are most responsible for causing climate change with more capacity to respond to it; recognises that they must provide the necessary finance for developing countries to develop cleanly and adapt to climate change; understands that industrialised countries must make ambitious cuts in their own emission; calls on the Government to reject new unabated coal power, to urge the EU to commit to at least 40 per cent. cuts below 1990 levels in carbon dioxide emissions by 2020 and to immediately raise significant finance for developing countries providing at least 35 billion euros annually by 2020, additional to aid and carbon market finance and which rests within the authority of the United Nations; and further calls on the Government to commit now to the UK's share of these targets and resources.","date":"2009-10-14","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"39204","proposer":"11245","edm":"1974","session":"2008-09","title":"Low Carbon Economy","text":"That this House notes the ambitious Greenpeace manifesto on a low carbon economy and the dedication of Greenpeace's members to publicising the need for change; recognises the Government's commitment to tackling climate change; but urges all political parties to develop the much-needed greener policies to deal with the challenge of climate change.","date":"2009-10-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"39223","proposer":"10323","edm":"1994","session":"2008-09","title":"10:10 Campaign","text":"That this House welcomes the 10:10 campaign, which aims to unite every sector of British society behind the idea that, by working together, it is possible to achieve a 10 per cent. cut in the UK's carbon emissions in 2010; notes that the campaign provides an opportunity for people, businesses and schools to come together to make a meaningful difference by concentrating on immediate, effective and achieveable action; recognises that climate change is one of the most important challenges facing humanity, requiring urgent and radical action; urges individuals and organisations to sign up to the campaign and pledge to cut their emissions by 10 per cent. in 2010; and calls on the Government to match this commitment at the national level.","date":"2009-10-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"39014","proposer":"10541","edm":"1807","session":"2008-09","title":"Sustainable Energy (Local Action) Bill","text":"That this House believes that it is vitally important to involve, rather than simply instruct, people and communities and local authorities in efforts to combat climate change; notes that the Sustainable Energy (Local Action) Bill, introduced by a cross-party group of hon. Members, will set in motion that process by giving councils and citizens a co-operative role in drawing up and implementing sustainable energy plans whose objectives would be to help combat climate change, protect energy security and alleviate fuel poverty; further notes that the bottom-up mechanisms in the Bill are based on those in the Sustainable Communities Act 2007, whch was warmly supported by all sides of the House; and therefore supports the measures in the Bill and hopes they will be enacted soon.","date":"2009-07-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"39017","proposer":"11312","edm":"1810","session":"2008-09","title":"Electric Vehicles","text":"That this House welcomes proposals from the Scottish Government to make all Government vehicles electric vehicles by 2020; notes that this demonstrates real commitment and determination to meet the 42 per cent. reduction target enshrined in the Climate Change Act (Scotland) 2009, the most ambitious target in the world; congratulates the Scottish Government; and calls on the UK Government to make a similar pledge.","date":"2009-07-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"39020","proposer":"10336","edm":"1778A1","session":"2008-09","title":"COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION'S INTERNATIONAL PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE ON CLIMATE CHANGE","text":"after `Westminster;', insert `welcomes President Mohammed Nasheed, who will open the conference;'.","date":"2009-07-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"38978","proposer":"10021","edm":"1778","session":"2008-09","title":"COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION'S INTERNATIONAL PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE ON CLIMATE CHANGE","text":"That this House commends and supports the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association United Kingdom Branch in hosting its second International Parliamentary Conference on Climate Change on the Countdown to Copenhagen for over 60 parliamentarians from Commonwealth and other legislatures, being held on 6 to 10 July 2009 in the Palace of Westminster; notes the importance of this conference as an opportunity to enhance the capacity of parliamentarians to hold their executives to account in seeking effective and just international and national agreements on climate change; further notes that the achievement of effective, realistic and fair emissions targets will be debated as well as the need for strategies to facilitate the development and transfer of climate change-related technology, climate mitigation and adaptation, water and food security, protection of forests and safe environmental migration; welcomes the application of human rights-based approaches and greater engagement between parliamentarians and those most affected by climate change, especially vulnerable and marginalised communities, in order to achieve more effective policy responses; and acknowledges this Parliament's commitment to encouraging open, challenging and meaningful international parliamentary dialogue and co-operation for greater international policy coherence on climate change.","date":"2009-06-30","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"38967","proposer":"11312","edm":"1768","session":"2008-09","title":"Climate Change Act (Scotland) 2009","text":"That this House welcomes the Climate Change Act (Scotland) 2009 as a world-leading example of a government adopting a legally binding target based on the scientific evidence of the scale of greenhouse gas emission reductions required to avoid dangerous climate change; welcomes the decision of the Scottish Parliament to set a target of a 42 per cent. reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020; notes that the Scottish target of 42 per cent. is more ambitious than the current UK target; believes that adopting this target now shows continued international leadership on climate change legislation; and calls on the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to take steps to support an immediate UK target of 42 per cent. and an EU-wide target of a 30 per cent. reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 in support of the Scottish Parliament's world-leading legislation.","date":"2009-06-29","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"38968","proposer":"10428","edm":"1769","session":"2008-09","title":"Carbon Trust Energy Savings Campaign","text":"That this House is aware of the Carbon Trust, an independent company established by Government in 2001 in response to the threat of climate change to help businesses and service providers to accelerate the move towards a low carbon economy to help reduce carbon emissions and to develop commercial low carbon technologies; is also aware that so far the Trust has worked with more than 700 secondary schools and further education colleges across the nation which have already identified energy savings of around 16 million and carbon emission savings of 119,000 tonnes annually; welcomes the Trust's fresh campaign to encourage all head teachers and college administrators in England and Wales to realise potential energy savings in their schools and colleges, whilst at the same time helping to tackle global warming; believes such a strategy should be supported by all education authorities; and calls on the Government to do all it can to help deliver such a sensible and worthwhile strategy.","date":"2009-06-29","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"38952","proposer":"10185","edm":"1753","session":"2008-09","title":"Hydrofluorocarbons And Supermarket Refrigeration","text":"That this House notes with grave concern the large-scale domestic emissions of potent greenhouse gases hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) commonly used in refrigeration, air-conditioning, and as foam blowing agents; welcomes the recent publication of the Environmental Investigation Agency's Chilling Facts report into the impact of supermarket refrigeration on climate change, supermarkets being the largest source of domestic HFC emissions; notes the availability of low global warming impact alternatives; further notes the initiatives in other European countries which have been successful in reducing HFC emissions; further notes calls from supermarkets for legislation against the use of HFCs in order to create a level playing field; calls on all supermarket retailers to phase-out immediately their use of HFCs; urges the Government to support a phase-out of domestic consumption of HFCs, as has happened in Austria and Denmark; and calls on the Government to support interim steps to achieve deep emission reductions such as HFC taxation, which is working successfully in Norway and Denmark and being assessed in Sweden.","date":"2009-06-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"38862","proposer":"11245","edm":"1675","session":"2008-09","title":"Green Britain Day, 10 July 2009","text":"That this House welcomes the launch of the first ever Green Britain Day on 10 July 2009 by Eco-Schools, London 2012, EDF Energy, the Eden Project and Global Action Plan; notes with appreciation that Green Britain Day is a chance for people to take specific personal action in the fight against climate change; encourages schools and businesses to participate, to have fun and to work towards a lower carbon future; further welcomes Government efforts to combat climate change; and calls for greater international co-operation to meet lower carbon emission objectives.","date":"2009-06-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"38839","proposer":"11427","edm":"1654","session":"2008-09","title":"Un Framework Convention On Climate Change","text":"That this House notes the publication of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiating text ahead of the forthcoming climate change talks in Copenhagen; further notes its recognition that reducing emissions will require a transition towards an economy based on more sustainable production, consumption and promotion of sustainable lifestyles; welcomes the UNFCCC's recognition that this should be underpinned by a just transition of the workforce which is central to achieving an agreement on climate change and includes the active participation of all stakeholders; believes that the mistakes of previous economic restructuring, when entire industries and communities were neglected cannot be repeated; and calls on the UK negotiators at the forthcoming climate talks to reflect widespread support amongst trade unions and other civil society organisations in the UK for this just transition clause to be included in the final UNFCCC agreement.","date":"2009-06-11","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"38374","proposer":"10790","edm":"1250","session":"2008-09","title":"Reporting On Carbon Liabilities","text":"That this House acknowledges the need to mitigate and adapt to climate change; looks forward to a successful global deal on climate change at Copenhagen later this year; notes that in a future carbon-constrained world businesses will need to account for the carbon intensity of their operations and products, particularly in the oil, gas and power sectors; believes that transparent reporting of the lifecycle carbon impacts of these operations and products as financial liabilities is the best way to enable investors and pension funds to factor in carbon risks to investment analysis and support emissions reductions and low-carbon growth; further notes the massive hidden carbon costs of the exploitation of unconventional fossil fuels such as oil sands, which emit on average three times more carbon dioxide in their extraction and production than conventional oil and represent a significant carbon risk for investors; also notes that new coal-fired power stations have lifespans of over 40 years; and therefore calls on the Government to require all UK-listed companies in the oil, gas and power sectors to report on their total carbon liabilities.","date":"2009-04-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"38355","proposer":"10096","edm":"1233","session":"2008-09","title":"Climate Change (Sectoral Targets) Bill","text":"That this House welcomes the Climate Change (Sectoral Targets) Bill introduced on 11 February by the hon. Member for Gower, which would require the Secretary of State to set long-term targets for energy efficiency in the domestic and non-domestic sectors, for renewable energy, for microgeneration and for other low carbon sources of energy generation in order to satisfy all of the UK's energy needs, provide for security of supply and also help achieve carbon reduction targets; notes that the Bill would also require a strategy to be drawn up and implemented by the Secretary of State in order to achieve those targets, and believes that such an approach will provide an immediate, flexible, realistic and cost-effective way of delivering the stated objectives of energy policy which would also create jobs and help regenerate the economy.","date":"2009-03-31","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"37959","proposer":"11494","edm":"880","session":"2008-09","title":"Royal Bank Of Scotland And Climate Change","text":"That this House notes that one of the most significant outcomes of the recent financial crisis has been the Government's acquisition of a majority stake in the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS); further notes that RBS has been identified by campaign groups People and Planet and Platform as the UK bank that is the most heavily involved in financing the expansion of fossil fuel projects around the world, and that the carbon dioxide emissions embedded in RBS's project finance in 2006 were calculated to be greater than the carbon dioxide emissions of Scotland itself; believes that the fact that banks play such a large role in providing finance to projects that are exacerbating climate change has been wholly unaddressed in Government policy; further believes that there is an urgent need for the Government's new banking regulations to include environmental concerns as well as financial concerns; calls on the Government to use its majority share in RBS to prioritise climate change as a principal concern in RBS's lending decisions; further calls on the Government to require RBS to calculate, publish and cap embedded emissions resulting from its lending to fossil fuel projects, and to set annual targets for reducing these emissions; and further calls on the Government to promote RBS investments in renewable energy, new green jobs and the infrastructure needed to decarbonise the economy.","date":"2009-02-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"37945","proposer":"10245","edm":"868","session":"2008-09","title":"Targets For 2020 In The Climate Change Act 2008","text":"That this House welcomes the Climate Change Act 2008 as the world's first example of a government adopting a legally binding target based on the scientific evidence of the scale of greenhouse gas emissions reductions required to avoid dangerous climate change; welcomes the Committee on Climate Change's advice for an intended 42 per cent. 2020 target; believes adopting this target now would show continued international leadership on climate change legislation; and calls on the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to adopt an immediate target to cut greenhouse gas emissions within the UK by 42 per cent. by 2020.","date":"2009-02-24","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"37818","proposer":"10790","edm":"761","session":"2008-09","title":"CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE WORLD'S POOREST PEOPLE","text":"That this House believes that 2009 is the most crucial and pivotal year for climate change, culminating with the UN's conference in Copenhagen in December; calls on the Government, as a matter of justice, to take the urgent action necessary to help the world's poorest people who are already suffering a range of impacts linked with a changing climate despite having contributed little to global emissions, in order to avoid further devastation to their lives and livelihoods; and further believes that in correcting this injustice the Government needs as a minimum firstly to accept the proposals laid out in the Committee on Climate Change's report, Building a low-carbon economy - the UK's contribution to tackling climate change, for targets for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emission reductions of 34 per cent. by 2020, with 42 per cent. if a global agreement is reached and 80 per cent. by 2050 and secondly, in recognition of the polluter pays principle, to supply finance for adaptation through international organisations in the form of grants rather than loans, and through a governance structure that comprises mainly of recipients.","date":"2009-02-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"37718","proposer":"10790","edm":"667","session":"2008-09","title":"Earth Hour And The Global Deal","text":"That this House supports WWF's Earth Hour 2009 which seeks to persuade a billion people worldwide to sign up to switch off their lights for an hour at 8.30 pm on Saturday 28 March to indicate to political leaders the widespread public support for a fair, equitable, binding and scientifically credible global deal on climate change; notes that the new global deal needs to be agreed in Copenhagen in December 2009; recognises the global lead that the UK has shown with the new Climate Change Act; acknowledges the key roles for the UK and Europe in promoting a post-2012 UN climate agreement building on the Kyoto Protocol; recognises that developed countries have an historic responsibility for contributing to climate change and therefore have an obligation under a global deal to provide sufficient resources above official development aid to support mitigation and adaptation in poorer nations and to prevent deforestation; and calls upon the Government to take a proactive, progressive and leading role throughout the 2009 negotiations.","date":"2009-02-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"37636","proposer":"10089","edm":"598","session":"2008-09","title":"Eco-Towns And Knowledge Transfer","text":"That this House welcomes the involvement of the Low Carbon Innovation Centre at the University of East Anglia in the proposed development of an eco-community at Rackheath in Norfolk; commends the Low Carbon Innovation Centre and developers Barrett Strategic and Building Partnerships for working together to ensure university expertise and robust scrutiny are brought to the development phase of the pioneering venture; believes that this example of knowledge transfer from universities should be replicated across all sectors of the built environment to promote carbon reduction; and congratulates all parties on their proposals being recognised by the Department for Communities and Local Government as the only scheme-rated A for suitability on the list of eco-town proposals being considered by the Department for Communities and Local Government.","date":"2009-01-27","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"37468","proposer":"10197","edm":"445","session":"2008-09","title":"Rainforests And Climate Change","text":"That this House notes the alarming rise in deforestation rates in the Amazon rainforest over recent months; further notes that deforestation already accounts for 20 per cent. of global carbon dioxide emissions each year and that curbing deforestation is one of the single most effective ways of halting catastrophic climate change; welcomes new EU targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent. by 2020, but recognises that any reductions could be entirely negated by increased rates of deforestation; and therefore calls on the Government to lead an international coalition to take up the offer from the President of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo, to place his country's entire 50 million acre rainforest estate under the protection of multi-national trust, in return for development aid.","date":"2009-01-14","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"37438","proposer":"10616","edm":"418","session":"2008-09","title":"Eu Climate Change Package And The Indirect Effects Of Biofuels","text":"That this House welcomes many aspects of the EU Climate Change Package; notes however that its undertakings fall far short of what the EU would have to do in a world effort to avoid dangerous climate change; is disappointed that the Council of Europe obtained the removal of a requirement, drafted by MEPs, that biofuel sustainability criteria account for indirect land use change (ILUC) emissions caused, despite assurances by the Government that the UK was seeking that these criteria address the indirect effects, and despite the warning by the EU Joint Research Centre that EU biofuels are currently likely to increase, not reduce, world emissions overall if the ILUC emissions are all counted; further notes that biofuels with such outcomes are strongly encouraged in the Package, both by the renewable transport energy target and the revised EU fuel quality directive; has similar concerns over EU use of non-waste vegetable oil as a biofuel for power generation, also incentivised by the Package; welcomes the focus on deforestation in the recent UN climate talks; and seeks the abolition of incentives for biofuels to the extent that their total costs, including in terms of indirect emissions, deforestation and hunger, exceed the benefits.","date":"2009-01-13","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"37308","proposer":"10658","edm":"299","session":"2008-09","title":"Emissions Performance Standard","text":"That this House believes that, in light of the strong recommendation made by the Climate Change Committee that the power sector should be almost fully decarbonised by 2030, and its warning of the potential dangers of a purely market-led approach leading to carbon lock in, the Government should bring forward early legislation to introduce a greenhouse gas emissions performance standard to apply to all new power generation capacity.","date":"2008-12-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"37046","proposer":"10790","edm":"54","session":"2008-09","title":"Sectoral Targets For Energy Efficiency And Microgeneration","text":"That this House, whilst disappointed that the Government did not feel able to accept the addition of New Clause 10 (Sectoral targets) to the Climate Change Bill of Session 2007-08, nevertheless welcomes the statement to the House by the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford, that the Government has sympathy for the concept of targets and her reassurance that they want to look at the kind of sectoral targets they would need and consult on the detail of sectoral targets for microgeneration and energy efficiency made on 28 October 2008, Official Report, column 812; and urges the Under-Secretary of State to accept the spirit of co-operative governance embodied in the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 and not just consult on these matters but also to try to reach agreement with the various bodies representing business and environmental and social interests.","date":"2008-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"37067","proposer":"10006","edm":"75","session":"2008-09","title":"Climate Change And Biodiversity","text":"That this House notes with concern the negative impact climate change will have on biodiversity and the challenges wildlife will face migrating through increasingly damaged and fragmented landscapes; acknowledges that a landscape scale approach is required to help the environment to better adapt to change, provide ecological services such as flood prevention and pollution reduction and accommodate wildlife movement; and therefore calls on the Government to facilitate this through promotion of a holistic approach incorporating a range of bodies at local, regional and central government level as well as private organisations and individuals.","date":"2008-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"37069","proposer":"10006","edm":"77","session":"2008-09","title":"Living Landscape Schemes","text":"That this House congratulates The Wildlife Trusts for having developed a hundred Living Landscape schemes across the UK as part of a programme to help the natural environment adapt to climate change; acknowledges the importance of the services the natural environment provides to society, such as pollution control, flood alleviation and improvements to quality of life; recognises the contribution that these schemes make towards providing these services; calls upon the Government to put the natural environment at the heart of the 2008 Climate Change Act's rollout of adaptation programmes and policies; and urges the Government to make changes where necessary to the full range of land use and land management policies that influence the natural environment's ability to adapt to climate change, land use planning, agricultural support systems, site protection systems and water and flood management.","date":"2008-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"36933","proposer":"10790","edm":"2518","session":"2007-08","title":"Sectoral Targets For Energy Efficiency And Microgeneration","text":"That this House, whilst disappointed that the Government did not feel able to accept the addition of New Clause 10 (Sectoral targets) to the Climate Change Bill, nevertheless welcomes the statement to the House by the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford, that the Government has sympathy for the concept of targets and her reassurance that they want to look at the kind of sectoral targets we would need and consult on the detail of sectoral targets for microgeneration and energy efficiency, 28th October 2008, Official Report, column 812; and urges the Under-Secretary of State to accept the spirit of co-operative governance embodied in the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 and not just consult on these matters but also to try to reach agreement with the various bodies representing business and environmental and social interests.","date":"2008-11-18","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"36724","proposer":"10248","edm":"2344","session":"2007-08","title":"Government Policy On Third Runway At Heathrow Airport","text":"That this House urges the Government to rethink its plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport and to give full consideration to alternative solutions; regrets the Government's heavy reliance on data supplied by the BAA in assessing the case for expansion and notes the likely forthcoming break up of BAA's ownership of three of London's airports following the investigation by the Competition Committee; believes that the consultation paper Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport was deeply flawed, as it paid insufficient regard to the costs of air and noise pollution in the surrounding areas and the commitment to curb carbon dioxide emissions to tackle climate change; regrets the fact that provisions to improve high speed rail lines from Heathrow to major cities have not been fully explored, along with the potential of other UK airports to handle more long haul flights; and urges the Government to initiate a consultation on a new national planning policy statement on the theme of airports and high speed rail.","date":"2008-10-27","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"36731","proposer":"10790","edm":"2351","session":"2007-08","title":"CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE UK'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE KOPERNIKUS SATELLITE PROGRAMME","text":"That this House recognises that the UK has established a lead in the understanding of climate change, with the Hadley Centre, Tyndall Centre and Walker Centre amongst many other highly regarded institutions providing essential insights into the causes and effects of climate change; notes that to follow Lord Stern's advice that more will have to be done to tackle climate change it will be necessary to increase the global research effort; therefore calls on the Government to meet fully its funding obligations for the European Space Agency's Kopernikus earth observation programme; and further notes that by doing so it will be making a firm commitment to the development of the UK-based space industry.","date":"2008-10-27","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"36701","proposer":"10790","edm":"2322","session":"2007-08","title":"Transparency Of Carbon Markets","text":"That this House believes that carbon trading can play an important role in combating climate change, but that confidence in such an approach can only be maintained if such markets are open, accountable, transparent and fully verifiable; and therefore believes that in order to avoid the collapse of trust that has occurred in financial markets, carbon markets must be better regulated and that hybrid and complex carbon credit-structured concepts such as synthetic carbon products and sub-index arbitrage strategies be excluded from any certified form of carbon credit.","date":"2008-10-22","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"36637","proposer":"10096","edm":"2270","session":"2007-08","title":"Public Sector Buildings (Energy Performance) Bill (No. 2)","text":"That this House notes that 275 hon. Members have indicated to the hon. Member for Swindon South their support for her Public Sector Buildings (Energy Performance) Bill, brought forward via the Private Members' Bill Ballot; further notes that both the Government and Opposition were content for the Bill to be given a Second Reading; and calls on the Government to support the amendments tabled to the Climate Change Bill by the hon. Member for Gower, which seek to enact the provisions of the Public Sector Buildings (Energy Performance) Bill.","date":"2008-10-16","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"36603","proposer":"10790","edm":"2253","session":"2007-08","title":"Energy Saving Week","text":"That this House congratulates the Energy Saving Trust for organising its 12th annual Energy Saving Week from 20th to 26th October; recognises that energy efficiency is the cleanest, safest and cheapest way of reducing carbon dioxide emissions; notes that energy efficiency can play a key role in tackling fuel poverty; but notes that the Energy Saving Trust's independent research shows that people think a lack of time is a barrier to them taking energy saving measures; further notes that many measures, such as installing low energy lightbulbs, or only boiling the water needed for a hot drink, take very little time; urges all hon. Members to show leadership in their constituencies by supporting the Energy Saving Trust's Energy Saving Week and by promoting the Act on Carbon Dioxide advice line to their constituents; and notes that since the Energy Saving Trust was established it has funded or influenced measures giving lifetime savings of over 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.","date":"2008-10-15","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"36583","proposer":"10245","edm":"2233","session":"2007-08","title":"Climate Change Bill (No. 2)","text":"That this House welcomes the Prime Minister's decision to ask the Shadow Committee on Climate Change for early advice on the Climate Change Bill to inform the final stages of debate in Parliament; congratulates the Committee and its chair Lord Turner for providing robust advice despite the time pressure; welcomes their recommendation that the United Kingdom should be more ambitious in its target with cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050; further welcomes Lord Turner's further statement that this should include all emissions, including aviation and shipping; and urges all parties to support amendments to incorporate these changes in the Climate Change Bill.","date":"2008-10-14","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"36539","proposer":"11814","edm":"2190","session":"2007-08","title":"Living Landscape Schemes","text":"That this House congratulates The Wildlife Trusts for having developed a hundred Living Landscape schemes across the UK as part of a programme to help the natural environment adapt to climate change; acknowledges the importance of the services the natural environment provides to society such as pollution control, flood alleviation and improvements to our quality of life; recognises the contribution that these schemes make towards providing these services; calls upon the Government to put the natural environment at the heart of the Climate Change Bill's adaptation programmes and policies; and urges it to make changes where necessary to the full range of land use and land management policies that influence the natural environment's ability to adapt to climate change, land use planning, agricultural support systems, site protection systems, water and flood management.","date":"2008-10-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"36495","proposer":"11923","edm":"2144","session":"2007-08","title":"Impact Of Climate Change On Farmers","text":"That this House recognises that the agriculture sector is likely to suffer severely as a result of climate change; notes with concern the impact of climate change on soil moisture in the growing season, on vernalisation, germination and senescence, on pesticide resistance and on yield productivity; welcomes the efforts of Farming Futures to prepare business for the impact, opportunities, risks and responsibilities of climate change; and urges the Government to start planning now to reduce cost and concern in the future.","date":"2008-10-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"36518","proposer":"10272","edm":"2168","session":"2007-08","title":"Environmental Impact Of Aviation","text":"That this House welcomes the decision of the European Union to include aviation in the European Union Emission Trading Scheme from 2012; believes that this represents a positive step towards cutting greenhouse gases which will encourage the adoption of more efficient aircraft technologies and operation and help to ensure the aviation industry pays its external environmental costs; notes with concern HM Treasury's proposal to introduce an aviation duty; expresses serious concern at the way the proposal is currently constructed, which will impact negatively on regional development, on both the passenger transport and air-freight divisions of the UK aviation industry and threaten jobs; and calls for the retention and adaptation of the current system of air passenger duty which, in conjunction with the European Union Emission Trading Scheme, represents a more effective policy instrument for delivering environmental benefits than the proposed aviation duty.","date":"2008-10-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"36433","proposer":"10716","edm":"2086","session":"2007-08","title":"Climate Change Bill (No.2)","text":"That this House notes that climate change represents one of the gravest challenges facing the world; therefore welcomes the cross-party recognition of the need for a climate change bill; nevertheless believes that the Climate Change Bill [Lords] requires strengthening in a number of areas in order to be both effective and to provide an appropriate example for other nations to follow; and therefore calls on the Government to bring forward proposals to include aviation emissions in carbon dioxide calculations to increase the target for reducing the UK's carbon dioxide emissions from 60 per cent. to 80 per cent. by 2050, and to make it mandatory for large companies to report on their carbon emissions in the Bill.","date":"2008-07-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"36382","proposer":"10626","edm":"2040","session":"2007-08","title":"DEFRA'S PROPOSED REPEAL OF HOME ENERGY CONSERVATION ACT 1995","text":"That this House recognises that the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 is one of the most important pieces of energy saving legislation; applauds the energy savings of 93.4 terawatt hours achieved in the first eight years of the Act; further recognises the many benefits the Act has brought, in terms of effective targeting of resources for household energy efficiency; recognises nevertheless that the Act might have achieved far more if the Government had not systematically failed to support it; is dismayed that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has now published proposals to repeal it; and therefore calls on the Government to scrap its plans to repeal the Act and instead take steps to strengthen it, thereby allowing it to reach its full potential to deliver household energy savings and contribute to the Government's stated climate change objectives.","date":"2008-07-15","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"36340","proposer":"11093","edm":"2007","session":"2007-08","title":"Parliament And Solar Panels","text":"That this House recognises the need for action to combat climate change, and that it is the first national legislature to set binding national limits on carbon dioxide emissions; further recognises the importance of the environment as an issue for the public; believes that more could be done domestically and internationally with each individual and organisation taking their role more seriously; and resolves to use the vast roof space of the House of Commons buildings for solar panels so that this House can do more to reduce its own emissions and take an active lead in the fight against climate change.","date":"2008-07-09","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"36347","proposer":"11026","edm":"1983A3","session":"2007-08","title":"Mayor Of London, Climate Change And The Proposed \u00c2\u00a325 Congestion Charge","text":"Leave out `is concerned","date":"2008-07-09","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"36348","proposer":"11026","edm":"1983A4","session":"2007-08","title":"Mayor Of London, Climate Change And The Proposed \u00c2\u00a325 Congestion Charge","text":"Leave out `charge'","date":"2008-07-09","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"36360","proposer":"11026","edm":"1983A1","session":"2007-08","title":"Mayor Of London, Climate Change And The Proposed \u00c2\u00a325 Congestion Charge","text":"leave out `is concerned at the news' and insert `notes that'.","date":"2008-07-09","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"36361","proposer":"11026","edm":"1983A2","session":"2007-08","title":"Mayor Of London, Climate Change And The Proposed \u00c2\u00a325 Congestion Charge","text":"leave out from `charge' to end and add `congratulates him on so speedily honouring this manifesto promise upon which he was democratically elected.'.","date":"2008-07-09","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"36315","proposer":"10001","edm":"1983","session":"2007-08","title":"Mayor Of London, Climate Change And The Proposed \u00c2\u00a325 Congestion Charge","text":"That this House is concerned at the news that Mayor of London Boris Johnson is to drop plans to introduce a \u00c2\u00a325 carbon dioxide charge on the most polluting vehicles entering central London; notes that the plans were introduced in an attempt to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the capital; further notes that the plans would have made huge progress in encouraging people to use public transport in London; recognises that if climate change is ever to be successfully tackled considerable changes like the congestion charges must be brought in; further recognises that dealing with the fuel crisis means people should be encouraged to drive smaller cars and use less fuel; believes it is unfair that by scrapping the plans the taxpayer must finance \u00c2\u00a3400,000 in a legal payout to Porsche; and calls on the Mayor seriously to reconsider his decision bearing in mind the necessity of fighting climate change, the importance of encouraging the use of public transport and the unfairness of asking taxpayers to foot a \u00c2\u00a3400,000 legal bill.","date":"2008-07-08","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"36063","proposer":"10790","edm":"1763","session":"2007-08","title":"Official Opposition And Climate Change Bill [lords]","text":"That this House notes that the Climate Change Bill [Lords] received its Second Reading on 9th June 2008 with an overwhelming majority of 344 Ayes to three Noes; further notes that the division on Second Reading was called by hon. Members of the Official Opposition and that far less than 33 per cent. of hon. Members of the Official Opposition voted for the Second Reading; further notes that the Bill has been amended and improved in the House of Lords; and calls upon the Leader of the Opposition to prevent his party from backsliding from its declared environmental commitments.","date":"2008-06-11","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"35946","proposer":"10465","edm":"1665","session":"2007-08","title":"Razorlight, The Aviators And Carbon Emissions","text":"That this House applauds the Big Ask concert organised by Friends of the Earth in the Science Museum's Aviation Hall on the evening of 3rd June 2008; welcomes the musical performances of Razorlight, supported by a cross party band of hon. Members, known as the Aviators, to draw attention to the case for including aviation and shipping emissions in emissions calculations; and calls on the Government to include these in Britain's carbon targets at the earliest opportunity.","date":"2008-06-02","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"35918","proposer":"10790","edm":"1636","session":"2007-08","title":"Cross-Party Consensus On Climate Change","text":"That this House notes the seriousness and urgency of climate change; calls upon the Prime Minister to convene a conference of the leaders of all parties represented in the UK Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly to examine the formation of a cross-party consensus on climate change policy; and believes that all participants in such a conference should assent to there being no pre-conditions on their attendance.","date":"2008-05-22","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"35896","proposer":"10444","edm":"1618","session":"2007-08","title":"Climate Change Bill And Corporate Reporting","text":"That this House welcomes the Government's decision to accept an amendment to the Climate Change Bill making it mandatory for large companies to report on their greenhouse gas emissions in their annual business review; congratulates the Government on recognising the need to ensure a level playing field amongst businesses on the important issue of climate change; notes that while 70 per cent. of FTSE350 companies responded to the most recent carbon disclosure project survey about their carbon emissions, less than half provided quantitative data that could be compared with other companies; recognises that climate change is a critical issue facing the world with profound implications for both businesses and investors; and urges the Government to set out a timetable for implementing the powers now in the Bill to set a clear standard for business reporting of greenhouse gas emissions.","date":"2008-05-20","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"35899","proposer":"11589","edm":"1621","session":"2007-08","title":"Environmental Transformation Fund","text":"That this House recalls the wide welcome in November 2007 for the Prime Minister's announcement of an \u00c2\u00a3800 million fund to help the world's poorest countries adapt to climate change; notes that this environmental transformation fund was widely expected to be administered as direct grants to countries experiencing droughts, storms and sea level rises associated with climate change; is concerned that the Government now intends that this money will be administered by the World Bank mainly in the form of concessionary loans which poor countries will have to repay to the UK with interest; believes that inviting poor countries to incur new debt to cope with climate change contradicts the logic of debt cancellation; notes the plans to promote the environmental transformation fund as a showpiece contribution to developing countries at the G8's meeting in Japan in July; welcomes the indications that some other countries favour grants rather than loans as the working basis of such a fund; calls on the Government to renew the spirit of its principled past endeavours on making poverty history, debt cancellation, transforming aid and leading on climate change; and urges Ministers to commit to this fund in the form of direct grants and as additional aid.","date":"2008-05-20","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"35859","proposer":"10295","edm":"1582","session":"2007-08","title":"Polar Bears","text":"That this House notes the decision by the United States to list the polar bear as an endangered species; expresses alarm at predictions that two-thirds of the polar bear population of 25,000 could disappear by 2050; recognises that this threat is a direct result of the Arctic sea ice habitat melting due to climate change; and urges the United States administration to introduce real environmental reforms which will help reduce carbon emissions and limit the damage caused by climate change.","date":"2008-05-15","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"35747","proposer":"10499","edm":"1481","session":"2007-08","title":"Multilateral Action Against Climate Change And World Hunger","text":"That this House notes that China is the fastest growing major economy in the world and India the second fastest; further notes that China will soon overtake the United States as the world's single biggest source of carbon emissions; expresses its concern at the role played by the growing demand for biofuels in world food price increases; is alarmed at the World Bank's prediction that food price inflation could set the fight against Third World hunger back by seven years; urges the Government to do all it can to help tackle global food poverty; recommends that the UK leads on change to regulations to drop any requirement to divert crops to fuel, as arable land is needed for food; further recommends that the Government uses its leverage to persuade the US, China and India to proceed on a multilateral basis to tackle climate change; and recognises that if the UK proceeded unilaterally it could drive fuel-intensive industries into jurisdictions with less stringent regulatory and fiscal regimes, which would cost British jobs whilst failing to reduce the world's total carbon output.","date":"2008-05-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"35752","proposer":"10383","edm":"1486","session":"2007-08","title":"We Can Parliamentary Vigil","text":"That this House supports the mothers' and children's environmental group We Can, which is holding a vigil outside Parliament on 20th May to ask for Government action on climate change; and welcomes the We Can view that the dangers of global warming are so great that an all-party coalition should be formed to implement a coherent strategy to protect the environment and to put the United Kingdom in the lead on this issue.","date":"2008-05-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"35699","proposer":"10526","edm":"1438","session":"2007-08","title":"Trade Union Case For Workplace Environmental Representatives","text":"That this House notes the warnings set out in the Stern Report about the potential economic, social and environmental effects of climate change; strongly welcomes the fact that the Climate Change Bill, if enacted, will bring in measures to reduce carbon emissions by 60 per cent. by 2050; believes that trades unions are ideally placed to promote and implement best environmental practice in the workplace amongst their 6.7 million members; supports the negotiation of sustainable workplace agreements with employers; praises those employers who are developing environmental and sustainable workplace policies; commends those local authorities which have already recognised trades union environmental workplace representatives; and urges the Government to respond positively to the campaigns for trades union environmental representatives to be given the same rights at work as other trades union representatives active in health and safety and lifelong learning.","date":"2008-04-28","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"35499","proposer":"10541","edm":"1265","session":"2007-08","title":"Sustainable Energy (Local Action) Bill","text":"That this House believes that it is vitally important to involve, rather than simply instruct, people and communities and local authorities in efforts to combat climate change; notes that the Sustainable Energy (Local Action) Bill introduced by a cross-party group of hon. Members will set in motion that process by giving councils and citizens a co-operative role in drawing up and implementing sustainable energy plans whose objectives would be to help combat climate change, protect energy security and alleviate fuel poverty; further notes that the bottom-up mechanisms in the Bill are based on those in the Sustainable Communities Act 2007, which was warmly supported by all sides of the House; and therefore supports the Bill and hopes its provisions will be enacted soon.","date":"2008-03-26","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"35244","proposer":"10177","edm":"1046","session":"2007-08","title":"Carbon Emissions And New Homes","text":"That this House recognises the need to improve domestic energy efficiency in order to tackle climate change and reduce fuel poverty; welcomes the introduction of carbon reduction targets for new homes; however notes that in line with the Code for Sustainable Homes all new homes built using Government grant are required to reduce carbon emissions by 25 per cent. from April 2008, 44 per cent. from 2012 and to become zero carbon from 2015, whilst private developers will have until 2010, 2013 and 2016 respectively to meet the same targets; is concerned that if three-quarters of the housing market is allowed to lag behind in this way green technologies will not sufficiently benefit from economies of scale and prices will remain unnecessarily high, deterring product take up and imposing higher building costs on the affordable housing sector; and therefore supports the National Housing Federation's campaign asking the Government to commit private developers to the same environmental standards and timetable as housing associations as soon as possible.","date":"2008-02-26","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"35213","proposer":"10383","edm":"1015","session":"2007-08","title":"Heathrow Rally","text":"That this House applauds the efforts of the many residents of London and the surrounding counties, their local authorities, elected representatives and campaign groups in expressing opposition to the proposed doubling of the number of flights using London Heathrow Airport by means of the construction of a third runway and the abolition of runway alternation; notes that those efforts will culminate in a rally and lobby of Parliament on 25th February 2008; believes that the interests of those employed at Heathrow and in associated businesses are best served by the creation of a better rather than a still bigger airport; notes that the report produced by consultants CE Delft undermines the often-repeated claim that the expansion of Heathrow is essential for the well-being of the UK economy; and calls upon the Government to abandon the proposed expansion of Heathrow in favour of transport policies consistent with the UK's international obligations on carbon dioxide emissions and climate change.","date":"2008-02-22","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"35196","proposer":"11656","edm":"998","session":"2007-08","title":"Climate Change And London","text":"That this House recognises that emissions from urban road traffic make a significant contribution towards climate change; notes that carbon dioxide emissions from the largest 4x4s, high powered sports cars and large luxury vehicles can be up to four times as great of those of the least polluting cars; supports measures which encourage people to choose more energy efficient forms of transport; therefore welcomes the ground breaking initiative by the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, to introduce a carbon dioxide congestion charge in central London based on the polluter pays principle; further notes that this will help fund improvements in cycling and walking in the capital; and believes that the Mayor should be congratulated for introducing a world leading scheme to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.","date":"2008-02-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"35069","proposer":"10197","edm":"893","session":"2007-08","title":"Rainforests And Climate Change","text":"That this House notes the alarming rise in deforestation rates in the Amazon rainforest over recent months; further notes that deforestation already accounts for 20 per cent. of global carbon dioxide emissions each year and that curbing deforestation is one of the single most effective ways of halting catastrophic climate change; welcomes new EU targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent. by 2020, but recognises that any reductions could be entirely negated by increased rates of deforestation; and therefore calls on the Government to take up the offer from the President of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo, to place his country's entire 50 million acre rainforest estate under the protection of a British-led coalition, in return for development aid.","date":"2008-02-05","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34968","proposer":"10022","edm":"804","session":"2007-08","title":"Livestock Production And Greenhouse Gas Emissions","text":"That this House notes that a report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations shows that livestock production is responsible for 18 per cent. of human-induced global greenhouse gas emissions which is a higher share than transport; further notes that the UK's consumption of meat and dairy products accounts for some 8 per cent. of UK consumption related greenhouse gases; further notes that the greenhouse gas emissions produced by the livestock sector are mainly in the form not of carbon dioxide but of methane and nitrous oxide; believes that the failure of the Climate Change Bill to set reduction targets for methane and nitrous oxide will make it difficult to address the emission of greenhouse gases by the livestock sector; and urges the Government to bring forward amendments to the Climate Change Bill to include reduction targets for methane and nitrous oxide.","date":"2008-01-28","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34954","proposer":"10006","edm":"789","session":"2007-08","title":"Energy And Climate Change","text":"That this House recognises the global imperative of tackling climate change; notes the importance of decarbonising the UK's energy production in order to meet this imperative; is concerned therefore by current plans to develop over 10GW of new coal power stations in Britain, which will result in 50 million extra tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions from the UK economy per annum; and asks the Secretary of State for Business, Employment and Regulatory Reform to call in the application to build a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent, in order that full consideration is given to the implications of the proposed development for the UK's climate change and energy policies.","date":"2008-01-25","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34907","proposer":"10790","edm":"745","session":"2007-08","title":"Uk-India Summit And Climate Change","text":"That this House welcomes the joint statement signed by the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh following the summit meeting held on 21st January 2008; notes that in its reference to climate change the statement said that long-term convergence of per capita emission rates is an important and equitable principle that should be considered seriously in the context of international climate change negotiations; and further notes that without such an equitable arrangement it is unlikely that developing countries like India have any incentive eventually to restrict their greenhouse gas emissions.","date":"2008-01-22","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34912","proposer":"10256","edm":"750","session":"2007-08","title":"International Watercourses Convention","text":"That this House notes that water is the source of life and that many poor communities around the world rely upon fresh water in rivers and lakes for their livelihoods; recognises international concern that the over-exploitation of water resources and the consequences of climate change will place serious strain on rivers and lakes in the future; is concerned that pre-existing political tensions in fragile parts of the world could be exacerbated by competing claims for limited freshwater sources; acknowledges the need to promote dialogue between nations with shared river and lake catchments in order to encourage their equitable and sustainable use and protection; further notes that the Japanese Prime Minister has recently pledged that water and climate change will be important issues in next year's G8 meeting; further notes that in May 1997 the UK Government was a co-sponsor of the UN Convention on the Law of Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses which seeks to promote effective water resource management and to reduce potential conflict over access to water; further notes that 16 other countries have now ratified the Convention, including Germany which signed in 2007; and calls upon the UK Government to accede without delay to the Convention and to use its principles to guide wider water resources programmes, at domestic and international levels.","date":"2008-01-22","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34898","proposer":"10245","edm":"736","session":"2007-08","title":"Climate Change Bill","text":"That this House welcomes the introduction of the Climate Change Bill to Parliament and the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP's) recent Human Development Report which described the Bill as a bold and innovative proposal to create a national carbon budget; notes however that the UNDP also warned that the Bill needed improving as its targets were not ambitious enough, and international aviation emissions were excluded, meaning that even if the Bill were applied to every developed country, global temperature would rise well beyond the two degrees Celsius limit and perhaps as high as four or five degrees; congratulates the Prime Minister on his speech on 19th November 2007, when he acknowledged the evidence now suggests that as part of an international agreement developed countries may have to reduce their emissions by up to 80 per cent.; and urges the Government to support amendments to the Bill during its passage through Parliament to address the UNDP concerns, making it an unequivocally world-leading response to climate change.","date":"2008-01-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34870","proposer":"11489","edm":"713","session":"2007-08","title":"Institute For Biological, Environmental And Rural Sciences","text":"That this House notes that agricultural and land-based environmental research in Ceredigion has a long and proud history, which can be traced back to the formation of the Welsh Plant Breeding Station (WPBS) in 1919; notes that the WPBS first received government funding in 1956, and that ever since research at the site has played an essential part in informing government environmental and agricultural policy; pays tribute also to the work of the current Institute in researching the potential of crops for energy; recognises the significant contribution that manipulating animal diets and obtaining energy from biomass could make to reducing methane and carbon dioxide emissions; further notes that the new Institute for Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) is set to become a world renowned centre of excellence for teaching, research and enterprise, building on the established reputations of Aberystwyth University and the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research and re-establishing a historical link between the two; urges the Government to ensure that future research at IBERS is fully funded, in view of its stated commitment to tackle climate change and support sustainable farming; and further urges the new IBERS to maintain the excellent farm research facilities at Trawscoed.","date":"2008-01-16","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34770","proposer":"11494","edm":"617","session":"2007-08","title":"National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (Nisp)","text":"That this House congratulates the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) on its achievements since its commencement in 2005 in enabling its 9,500 industry members to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill by 1.8 million tonnes, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2 million tonnes, reduce industrial water use by over 2.5 million tonnes, together with a saving of over 5.4 million tonnes in the use of virgin raw material, delivering not only environmental savings but also generating additional industry sales of more than \u00c2\u00a399 million and a net fiscal impact of over \u00c2\u00a310.3 million; is aware that resource recovery and reuse requires substantially less carbon than the use of virgin materials; notes that NISP has gained European exemplar eco-innovation status and that NISP is now working with developing economies, including China and Mexico, to deliver real benefits in resource efficiency; and recognises that NISP is strongly positioned to support many of the recommendations in the recent CEMEP report on environmental markets and has the ability to deliver 5 per cent. of the UK's Kyoto Protocol commitment for carbon reduction by 2011.","date":"2007-12-18","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34744","proposer":"10790","edm":"593","session":"2007-08","title":"Climate Change (Sectoral Targets) Bill","text":"That this House notes that the Climate Change Bill does not incorporate targets for the contributions that various sectors and technologies should make to the achievement of the UK's emissions reductions; believes in the effectiveness of such sectoral targets in order to prevent each sector passing the responsibility for reducing emissions on to others; agrees with the conclusions in July 2007 of the Joint Committee on the Draft Climate Change Bill that if carbon targets are to have any credibility, they must be based on a detailed analysis of the scope and potential for carbon reductions in specific sectors; agrees also with Professor Sir David King, the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, who in his evidence to that Committee said, `each sector needs to know where it is expected to go to justify private investment funds going into these sectors'; and therefore supports the Climate Change (Sectoral Targets) Bill, sponsored by a cross-party group of hon. Members, which requires the Secretary of State both to set initial targets in line with existing Government policy for emissions reductions in the commercial, residential and public sectors as well as targets for renewable energy and combined heat and power and also to set further longer term targets in these and other sectors in order to help achieve the Government's overall targets for reducing carbon emissions and meeting the UK's energy needs.","date":"2007-12-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34752","proposer":"10619","edm":"601","session":"2007-08","title":"GREEN OLYMPICS AND THE EARTHWALKER'S CAMPAIGN","text":"That this House welcomes Paul Coleman's walk from Hong Kong to Beijing to help to encourage China to host an environmentally-friendly Olympics in Beijing in 2008; supports his effort to raise awareness of these issues; welcomes the support of the Chinese Forestry Ministry for his walk; encourages and supports China's effort to develop sustainability; wishes for a successful Beijing Olympics; urges all concerned with the 2012 London Olympic games to ensure that they will be truly sustainable; and acknowledges that a green London Olympics will advance British environmental industries and technologies that will ultimately benefit the global environment.","date":"2007-12-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34755","proposer":"10606","edm":"604","session":"2007-08","title":"Planning Bill And Climate Change","text":"That this House welcomes the Government's stated intention to integrate planning policy with the crucial commitment to address climate change; notes that the Planning Bill imposes a duty on local authorities to produce policy that contributes to the mitigation of climate change; strongly believes that this duty should be strengthened and imposed on Ministers when drawing up National Policy Statements (NPSs) and on the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC); further considers that the Committee on Climate Change should be a statutory consultee in NPSs and Major Infrastructure Projects processes; and urges that mechanisms are put in place to monitor and report on the discharge of this duty.","date":"2007-12-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34700","proposer":"10001","edm":"557","session":"2007-08","title":"Penguins At Risk","text":"That this House is concerned at the plight of penguins living in the Antarctic Peninsula; notes that melting ice due to the effects of climate change is devastating the nesting site for penguins; recognises that over-fishing is leading to a lack of food available for penguins; further notes that four species of penguin - the emperor, the gentoo, the chinstrap and the Adelie - are among the most at risk creatures in the area; supports the World Wildlife Fund report which states that some of the emperor penguins' colonies have reduced by half in the past century due to warmer temperatures; and calls on the Government to push for comprehensive and fair emissions cuts at the Bali summit.","date":"2007-12-12","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34691","proposer":"10045","edm":"550","session":"2007-08","title":"Out Of Town Shopping Centres","text":"That this House is concerned by proposals from the Competition Commission in its Provisional Findings report to weaken planning policy and planning policy statements in relation to town centres to allow for more supermarkets to be built on the edge of towns and in out of town locations; notes that the majority of supermarkets are already being built in out of town centres; notes that many independent smaller shops are closing each year and reducing people's choice of where to shop; believes that a weakening of policy in this way would allow all types of retail to locate out of town leading to an increase in car-based shopping and related climate change emissions; further believes that there will be a disproportionate effect on households without cars if more local shops are lost; and calls on the Government to retain key existing tests such as need, accessibility and scale and to strengthen, rather than weaken, planning policy for town centres by also introducing a presumption against out of town retail development and new tests for diversity, local economic impact and carbon emissions.","date":"2007-12-11","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34639","proposer":"10170","edm":"506","session":"2007-08","title":"Rail Freight And The Environment","text":"That this House notes the environmental benefits of rail freight over other transport modes; recognises that an average aggregate freight train can remove up to 120 HGV lorries from the road network; supports Government steps to encourage modal shift from road to rail; and is therefore opposed to the introduction of longer and heavier goods vehicles onto the UK road network that could weigh up to 60 tonnes and be as long as 25.25 metres.","date":"2007-12-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34646","proposer":"11923","edm":"513","session":"2007-08","title":"Sustrans Connect2 Scheme","text":"That this House congratulates Cumbria County Council for participating in the Sustrans Connect2 Scheme which will build new walking and cycling routes in 79 communities throughout the United Kingdom, including Carlisle, Maryport and Coniston in Cumbria; and welcomes these plans which will help the United Kingdom move further towards a zero-carbon economy as soon as possible.","date":"2007-12-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34464","proposer":"10249","edm":"344","session":"2007-08","title":"Chair Of Climate Change Committee","text":"That this House welcomes the Government's declared intention to announce the Chair of the Climate Change Committee in the very near future; urges it to set up a shadow committee during the progress of the Climate Change Bill so that preparatory work can be completed; and insists that the person appointed to the Chair will not be acceptable unless they meet the criteria of being credible to the Government but entirely independent of it, commanding confidence in both the business and environmental communities, having the authority which comes from a clear track record on climate change and being wholly acceptable to all sides of this House, including the opposition parties.","date":"2007-11-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34470","proposer":"11783","edm":"350","session":"2007-08","title":"Heathrow Expansion","text":"That this House notes with concern that the Government has put forward proposals which could increase the number of annual flights at Heathrow from 473,000 in 2006 to 800,000; is alarmed that this will undermine attempts to tackle climate change; believes that the economic case for expansion at Heathrow has not been made; is concerned that ending runway alternation at Heathrow would end the half day of respite from aviation noise currently enjoyed by West London residents; believes that current measures to regulate noise levels around the airport are inadequate; notes that the ANASE study commissioned by the Department for Transport found that the `onset of community annoyance' occurs well below the existing threshold of an average 57 decibels; welcomes the formation by 12 local authorities of the 2M Group, representing the interests of the two million people, whose quality of life is affected by Heathrow; regrets BAA's heavy-handed attempts to prevent protests over the summer; notes that the history of assurances given to residents by both Government and BAA does not inspire confidence that the views of local people will be taken seriously; and therefore opposes any plans to reduce or end runway alternation or to build a third runway and 6th terminal at Heathrow.","date":"2007-11-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34434","proposer":"10713","edm":"316","session":"2007-08","title":"Carbon Emissions And The Travel Buying Industry","text":"That this House welcomes the ICARUS environmental accreditation scheme to achieve absolute reductions in carbon dioxide emissions throughout the travel buying industry; acknowledges its ambitious targets to reduce the carbon output of the travel buying sector by at least 60 per cent. by 2050, in line with the provisions of the Climate Change Bill; recognises the importance of the cut, reduce, offset framework to prioritise cutting unnecessary travel, reducing emissions by switching to greener travel alternatives and only offsetting carbon emissions as a last resort; and congratulates the responsible leadership of the Institute of Travel Management in helping to reduce the carbon emissions of the UK's travel buying sector.","date":"2007-11-20","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34454","proposer":"10336","edm":"301A1","session":"2007-08","title":"Severn Tidal Power And Generation Of Electricity From The Severn Estuary","text":"after `homes', insert `recognises that a barrage would irreversibly damage the environment and landscape of the Severn Estuary, that biodiversity would be lost and the future of the port of Bristol compromised'.","date":"2007-11-20","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34412","proposer":"10043","edm":"301","session":"2007-08","title":"Severn Tidal Power And Generation Of Electricity From The Severn Estuary","text":"That this House welcomes the announcement by the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform of a feasibility study into the generation of electricity from the Severn Estuary that will critically evaluate all the major options; notes that the Severn Tidal Power project has the potential to provide five per cent. of total UK electricity demand from a renewable, reliable and British source; further notes that through harnessing the natural power of the tidal Severn Estuary, the Severn Tidal Power project would provide enough electricity to power three million homes; is concerned that each month of delay to completion of the project means an extra 0.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide is emitted; and calls on the Government to progress the study without delay, making use of the 20 years' experience and knowledge already available.","date":"2007-11-19","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34391","proposer":"10790","edm":"280","session":"2007-08","title":"Post-2012 Climate Change Framework","text":"That this House agrees with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that the impacts of climate change are already being felt and fall most heavily on the poor in some of the poorest countries in the world and that these same people are least able to cope with the impacts of climate change and have contributed least to the problem; believes that the forthcoming United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting in Bali represents a vital opportunity to take action to prevent global catastrophic climate change; and calls on the Government to lead the way in creating additional and sufficient funding to allow developing countries to adapt appropriately to the consequences of climate change, to ensure that the impact on developing countries is central to discussions and to ensure that a framework timetable for negotiations is drawn up that will conclude by 2009 to ensure continuity when the first Kyoto commitment period finishes in 2012.","date":"2007-11-15","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34352","proposer":"10100","edm":"245","session":"2007-08","title":"Climate Change And Concessionary Travel Schemes For Young People","text":"That this House welcomes the Government's concessionary travel scheme for the over 60s and disabled passengers; notes the potential of the scheme to increase the use of public transport, improve accessibility and reduce social exclusion; further welcomes the campaign launched by the Chair of the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority for a similar scheme for young people; believes that the scheme should initially provide for a maximum 50p fare and ultimately be extended to offer free travel; further believes that such a scheme would deliver significant long-term benefits in respect of road safety and social mobility together with reduced traffic congestion and carbon dioxide emissions; and calls on the Government to develop such a national scheme of concessionary travel for under 21s participating in approved education and training programmes, in the context of its future programme of action on climate change.","date":"2007-11-14","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34372","proposer":"10436","edm":"265","session":"2007-08","title":"Green Credit For Green Growth","text":"That this House is concerned that the costs of dealing with the recent floods is only a foretaste of the much larger sums that will be necessary to cope with climate change and to deal with extreme weather conditions; believes that instead of raising the money by taxing or borrowing, the Government should now increase the proportion of publicly-created money in the economy by issuing interest-free green credit to finance both these problems; notes that the proportion of the publicly-created money in circulation has fallen from 20 per cent. of the money supply in 1964 to three per cent. today; further notes that the benefits of seignorage are overwhelmingly taken by the banks not the public exchequer, if this decline were reversed the use of publicly-created money would substantially cut the cost of public investment by eliminating the need to pay interest; considers that such a policy of using publicly-created money to finance carbon neutral measures and conversions could be adopted to create additional economic growth; and recommends that the Treasury should use its powers to create non-interest bearing money so as to fund activities to combat climate change along the lines developed by the submission of the Forum for Stable Currencies' response to the United Nations Development Programme's call for new approaches towards adaptation to climate change.","date":"2007-11-14","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34380","proposer":"10444","edm":"273","session":"2007-08","title":"Carbon Reporting","text":"That this House recognises that climate change is one of the most critical issues that businesses face today; believes that a common reporting standard on carbon emissions would allow meaningful and consistent comparison by investors and consumers; notes the Aldersgate Group's Carbon Costs report which stated that, despite improvements in the number of companies disclosing information on greenhouse gases, current reporting levels are still too low and what is disclosed is not comparable because of the use of different calculation methods; believes that the lack of transparency obscures the true contribution of corporate UK and undermines the comparative advantage that should accrue to companies with good carbon reporting and control; and urges the Government to introduce enabling powers in the Climate Change Bill for mandatory carbon reporting standards for all companies listed on the UK stock markets which will allow consumers and investors to make low carbon choices and comparisons.","date":"2007-11-14","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34324","proposer":"10630","edm":"222","session":"2007-08","title":"Microgeneration And Local Energy Bill","text":"That this House expresses support for the provisions contained within the Microgeneration and Local Energy Bill introduced in the last session by the hon. Member for Southampton Test, on promoting microgeneration, local energy and energy conservation; believes that these measures would make a significant contribution to combating climate change; and looks forward to such provisions being brought forward in the 2007-08 Session.","date":"2007-11-13","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34297","proposer":"10096","edm":"195","session":"2007-08","title":"Local Planning Authorities: Energy Efficiency And Renewable Energy","text":"That this House believes that climate change is a major threat facing the planet; notes that a very significant percentage of carbon dioxide emissions comes from buildings; believes that new initiatives are needed to reduce these emissions and that an important way to achieve this is through the planning system; therefore, notes with concern, that a number of local authorities have been prevented from specifying high energy efficiency standards in their local development plans, thereby undermining their efforts to set high sustainability standards; further notes that the latest draft of the Government's Climate Change Planning Policy Statement undermines the Merton Rule, which enables local planning authorities to use their development plans to require all new developments to include measures to generate at least 10 per cent. of their energy through on-site renewable energy technologies and which is being followed by 140 councils by requiring councils to avoid authority-wide blanket requirements for on-site renewable energy, thus preventing them from applying the Rule to all new developments; further notes that the Minister for Energy has expressed support both for the Merton Rule as currently practised and for councils being able to set higher energy efficiency standards; and therefore calls on the Government to bring forward proposals in the 2007-08 parliamentary session to give councils a statutory right to use their development plan framework to set energy efficiency standards.","date":"2007-11-12","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34270","proposer":"10616","edm":"174","session":"2007-08","title":"AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH FILM AND MR JUSTICE BURTON'S RULING","text":"That this House recognises the need to find innovative, compelling and balanced ways to engage everyone on the issue of climate change; welcomes Mr Justice Burton's overall ruling that the film An Inconvenient Truth can be shown in schools provided there is appropriate contextual guidance given by teachers; notes prominent scientists' comments that the judge was a little harsh on the film in places; and believes it is not alarmist to warn of major sea level rises, since Professor James Hansen, top US climate modeller, argues that such sea level rises should be expected this century if emissions are not curbed appropriately and that Arctic sea ice ranges are shrinking much faster than was predicted.","date":"2007-11-08","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34271","proposer":"10713","edm":"175","session":"2007-08","title":"Public Sector Carbon Emissions","text":"That this House notes that the public sector is responsible for five per cent. of total UK carbon emissions and is a significant player in the commercial tenancy market; welcomes the Government's targets for carbon and energy efficiency performance on their own estate as set out in the 2004 Energy Efficiency Action Plan and restated in the 2005 Common Minimum Standards for public sector building procurement; welcomes in particular their commitment to procure only buildings in the top quartile of energy performance, believing that this will have a marked effect on the wider commercial property market; notes with concern that, according to a new report from the National Audit Office, most Government departments and agencies are failing to meet these targets, which will in turn render unachievable the new carbon and energy efficiency targets laid down in March 2007 Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate; further notes with concern that 14 Government departments are less energy efficient than they were in 2000 and that sustainable public buildings can save at least \u00c2\u00a320 million a year through energy and water efficiency; and therefore calls for a renewed commitment by the Government that the energy standards of the buildings they purchase, lease or procure will be in the top quartile of energy performance in order to meet their energy and carbon targets and to transform the wider commercial property market.","date":"2007-11-08","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34273","proposer":"10616","edm":"177","session":"2007-08","title":"Biofuels And The Ipcc","text":"That this House notes with interest and concern a contention by five senior ecology and energy scientists that the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report's conclusions on biofuels are `seriously and dangerously deficient' in understating their costs and pitfalls and that the IPCC has not revealed the basis for its claim that biofuel blending programmes or incentives in a number of national cases have been found environmentally effective upon initial inquiries; and therefore joins with the five scientists in calling on the IPCC to reveal the basis for this claim, in the interests of good science and to avoid prejudicing others' commendable work within the IPCC.","date":"2007-11-08","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34208","proposer":"10177","edm":"118","session":"2007-08","title":"Microgeneration Targets","text":"That this House notes the passing of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006; further notes the importance of setting targets for microgeneration in order to achieve reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide, as specified in section 4 of the Act; emphasises the views of the industry, that targets are crucial to secure investor confidence in order to train installers, establish mass market delivery channels and obtain funding for large scale investment in mass production; further notes that such developments will reduce the cost of microgeneration technologies, thereby ensuring a shorter pay-back period for customers and enabling microgeneration to move from a niche market to a mass market product and further contribute to reducing climate change at no cost to the public purse; and urges the Government to work in conjunction with industry in order to set a challenging but achievable target within the timescale required by the Act.","date":"2007-11-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34210","proposer":"11592","edm":"120","session":"2007-08","title":"Sunderland City And The Environment","text":"That this House congratulates Sunderland on being named as the fifth greenest city in Britain in the Forum for the Future's sustainable cities index, which measures how much of the world's resources each person uses in energy, food, land, housing and goods; further congratulates the people of the city for having the lowest eco-footprint of all North East cities and on coming eighth out of 60 British cities, according to a World Wildlife Fund for Nature report; welcomes Sunderland City Council's commitment to further reducing its ecological footprint in line with its commitment to sustainability and the environment; warmly endorses the city's aim to be the most liveable city in the UK by helping residents live greener lifestyles; and believes that these results show Sunderland's laudable commitment to combating climate change.","date":"2007-11-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34227","proposer":"10415","edm":"137","session":"2007-08","title":"Abta And Reduce My Footprint Campaign","text":"That this House supports the Reduce My Footprint Campaign created by ABTA to allow consumers to monitor their carbon footprint; notes that the campaign will allow consumers to mitigate the effects of their travel on climate change; further notes that Reduce My Footprint will help consumers to reduce their carbon footprint; recognises the positive steps the travel industry is taking to address the issue of climate change; and welcomes the positive action of businesses and consumers to reduce their carbon footprints.","date":"2007-11-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34236","proposer":"11923","edm":"146","session":"2007-08","title":"Packaging And The Food And Drink Federation","text":"That this House welcomes the announcement by the Food and Drink Federation that it aims to reduce food packaging by 340,000 tonnes by 2010 and adopt other targets including cutting carbon emissions, reducing water wastage and food miles; urges further such cuts if the challenge of climate change is to be addressed; and congratulates the Cut Waste in Kendal campaign that is seeking to reduce packaging in South Lakeland and is working with local traders to discuss making Kendal a plastic bag-free town.","date":"2007-11-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34165","proposer":"10713","edm":"75","session":"2007-08","title":"Combined Heat And Power","text":"That this House recognises that combined heat and power (CHP) is one of the most cost-effective ways of reducing UK carbon emissions, especially in the industrial sector, and that it enhances security of supply, boosts competitiveness and helps tackle fuel poverty; regrets the Government's disappointing records on attaining its target of 10 GW generated through CHP by 2010 and 15 per cent. of electricity for Government departments to be sourced from CHP by 2010; remains concerned that, despite the Conservative Government setting a target in 1990 of four GW being achieved by 2000, there has been a marked reduction in the rate of CHP installation since 1997; and urges the Government to honour its 2010 target, and set a further 2020 target, for energy generated through combined heat and power, and to develop the policies to meet it.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34166","proposer":"10713","edm":"76","session":"2007-08","title":"Un Conference On Climate Change At Bali","text":"That this House urges the Government to go further and faster in seeking international agreements and strategies to stop the continued increase in world carbon dioxide emissions; believes that 550 parts per million carbon dioxide concentration in air would be an unacceptably dangerous level; and urges the Government to seek an agreement at the UN Conference on Climate Change in Bali in December on a clear road-map towards a post-Kyoto deal, which can then be secured at the Copenhagen Conference in 2009.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34168","proposer":"10713","edm":"78","session":"2007-08","title":"Renewable Energy","text":"That this House supports the concept and development of renewable energy technology; recognises the importance of this technology in enhancing Britain's energy security and in tackling climate change; is concerned that the Government is considering backing out of its 20 per cent. by 2020 EU renewable energy commitment; and urges the Government to develop a comprehensive renewable energy strategy which facilitates the development of less developed technologies such as offshore wind, tidal, wave and solar power in order to meet its renewable energy target.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34169","proposer":"10713","edm":"79","session":"2007-08","title":"Targets For Microgeneration","text":"That this House welcomes the passing of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act in 2006; notes the importance of section 4 of the Act which relates to the setting of targets for microgeneration; further notes the importance of such targets in order to achieve reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide, especially in the light of the recent Stern report that emphasised the urgency of this issue; emphasises in addition the views of industry that targets are crucial in securing sufficient investor confidence to train installers, establishing mass market delivery channels and obtaining funding for large scale investment in mass production; further notes that such developments will make microgeneration equipment far cheaper and so ensure that the pay-back period for customers is reduced, thus enabling microgeneration to make the big step from a niche market product to being a mass market product and contribute even more to efforts to reduce climate change at no cost to the public purse; and urges the Secretary of State for the Environment to work in conjunction with the industry in order to set a challenging but achieveable target within the timescale required by the Act.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34170","proposer":"10713","edm":"80","session":"2007-08","title":"Local Government And The Merton Rule","text":"That this House supports the Merton Planning Rule requiring onsite renewable energy in all major new developments where viable; notes that onsite renewables such as solar hot water, solar photovoltaics, biomass boilers, small wind turbines and ground source heat pumps are proven technologies with rapidly expanding European and global markets; recognises that the UK languishes unnecessarily near the bottom of the European league table of installed micro renewable energy capacity; acknowledges that onsite renewables will need to make a significant contribution to the EU's 2020 20 per cent. renewable energy target if that target is to be met in the UK; congratulates forward thinking councils for adopting and implementing local planning rules requiring onsite renewable energy in new developments; believes that the Merton rule makes the delivery of the Government's 2016 zero carbon homes timetable more rather than less likely; and therefore urges ministers to ensure that the rights of local planning authorities to set borough-wide Merton rules and other local energy efficiency and renewable energy planning requirements are promoted unambiguously in the forthcoming Climate Change PPS.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34171","proposer":"10006","edm":"81","session":"2007-08","title":"Measurement Of Carbon Emissions","text":"That this House recognises the importance of conserving the world's natural resources and of countering climate change; notes the urgent need to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases resulting from human activity; congratulates businesses that have begun to measure to reduce the carbon emissions resulting from their operations, supply chains, products and services; further notes the difficulties in defining the parameters for such measurement and in agreeing methodologies; believes that such measurements would enable both informed comparison and customer choice; emphasises the need for national and international consensus on such measurement and methodologies; and calls upon the Royal Society to take forward the process for establishing a mechanism for achieving such a consensus.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34173","proposer":"10006","edm":"83","session":"2007-08","title":"Climate Change And Biodiversity","text":"That this House notes with concern the negative impact climate change will have on biodiversity and the challenges wildlife will face migrating through increasingly damaged and fragmented landscapes; acknowledges that a landscape scale approach is required to help the environment to better adapt to change, provide ecological services such as flood prevention and pollution reduction and accommodate wildlife movement; and therefore calls on the Government to facilitate this through promotion of a holistic approach incorporating a range of bodies at local, regional and central Government level as well as private organisations and individuals.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34179","proposer":"10389","edm":"89","session":"2007-08","title":"Biodiversity","text":"That this House welcomes the EU commitment to halt biodiversity loss by 2010, but notes with concern that the European Commissioner for the Environment believes the UK is still far from meeting this target; recognises the inextricable link between biodiversity and the health of the planet, and therefore the concern that climate change may alter distribution, abundance, behaviour, phenology and morphology to an extent which threatens species with previously healthy population levels; and urges the Government to recognise the importance of action to mitigate the threats to plant and animal life.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34188","proposer":"10006","edm":"98","session":"2007-08","title":"Climate Change","text":"That this House believes that man-made climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing our world today requiring co-ordinated domestic and international action; notes with concern that the UK's ability to lead on this issue is compromised by the fact that domestic emissions of greenhouse gases have recently been rising; calls on the Government to introduce a strong Climate Change Bill which will put into place long-term targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and establish an independent body to monitor progress towards meeting those targets; further recognises there may be a case for allowing the independent body to set targets and require the Government to report annually on progress; welcomes the Government's response to the consultation on the draft Climate Change Bill which announced that the Independent Committee on Climate Change will re-examine whether the 60 per cent. target for emissions reduction is sufficient and whether aviation and shipping should be included; but notes with alarm that the committee will not report on these until late 2009, while 15 years worth of carbon budgets are to be set in 2008.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Climate change","id":"34194","proposer":"10790","edm":"104","session":"2007-08","title":"Unep Fourth Global Environment Outlook Report","text":"That this House welcomes the publication of the UN Environment Programme 4th Global Environment Outlook report; notes that the report provides alarming evidence of the further degradation of the planet's sustainability, that this degradation threatens the lives and living standards of hundreds of millions of people, that the report is yet another step in a long process which has failed to produce an international framework designed to deal with climate change faster than the problem is being created, and that the Government has often referred to its study of such frameworks, without conclusion; and now calls on the Government to end this indeterminate process and publish, for public debate, its preferred option for a future framework to deal with climate change.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"}]