Joining the climate change road to Copenhagen (From Daily Echo)

Joining the climate change road to Copenhagen

3:05pm Wednesday 1st July 2009

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Why Copenhagen matters to Southampton, by Climate Change Minister Joan Ruddock

THE city of Copenhagen, somewhere to the North East of Southampton, is not a big city. Fewer than two million people live there.

But, in December this year it will become the most important place on Earth.

The reason is climate change.

Climate change is the biggest threat facing our planet. We’ve known for a while that pumping heat-trapping gasses into the atmosphere has serious consequences. But now the scientists have produced the clearest warnings yet about what this will mean for Britain.

Last week the Government published predictions of our future climate by experts at the Met Office. For the first time, their data is detailed enough to show us what the 2080s could be like in the Solent area. The temperature on the hottest day of the year could rise by a staggering 10 degrees above averages in the late twentieth century, rainfall on the wettest day could increase by up to 45 per cent. Living conditions for our grandchildren could be unbearable, with more flooding, heatwaves and droughts. Elsewhere in the world things could be worse.

Millions could be forced out of their own countries because it’s too hot or it’s flooded, more people could be at risk of catching diseases like malaria and a third of known species could be at increased risk of extinction.

That’s if we do nothing, if we keep going about our lives wasting energy and pumping heat-trapping gasses into the air.

This is where Copenhagen comes in. At the beginning of December, the UK will take its seat alongside the other 191 members of the United Nations to find a solution.

With less than six months to go, the UK Government is today publishing ‘The Road to Copenhagen’. It sets out why we think an ambitious global deal is both necessary and achievable, what it might look like and why it’s important for every UK citizen.

Our document is online now and will be sent to schools, libraries, citizens advice centres and local authorities across the country.

This is make or break and the UK is pushing for the most ambitious deal possible.

The science tells us that if we can reduce carbon dioxide emissions and limit global temperature rise to no more than two degrees, we can avoid the worst impacts.

To read ‘The Road to Copenhagen’ go to actoncopenhagen.gov.uk To use the new Carbon Calculator and reduce your carbon footprint go to direct.gov.uk/actonco2

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