Politics: Prime Minister must take climate change seriously

City council board member for cleaner, greener Oxford

David Cameron is performing a u-turn on tackling climate change.

A series of measures is undermining Britain’s position.

The politician who a few years ago flew to the Arctic to be photographed with huskies is now ignoring melting icecaps.

Britain’s prime minister once promised, “the greenest government ever”.

In the Conservative manifesto he said: “We will continue to support the UK Climate Change Act.”

But the Tories will not support “distorting” and “expensive” targets.

So where do the Tories really stand? Oxford’s MPs, Nicola Blackwood and Andrew Smith, both have letters on their desks from a worried Oxford City Council.

All councillors agree the Government is backtracking on reducing carbon emissions.

This month Amber Rudd MP, the new Secretary of State for Climate Change, announced there will be no new subsidies for on-shore wind.

But on-shore is much more cost-effective than off-shore windfarms. The Government has abandoned the target of building zero-carbon new homes by 2016 and other new buildings by 2019.

But leaky buildings are one of the biggest sources of climate-damaging carbon gases.

In his Budget, Chancellor George Osborne in his budget added to the concerns of many people in Oxford about a climate change u-turn.

His tax cuts for North Sea oil and gas, for example, will only encourage the burning of fossil fuels.

Making renewable energy pay a carbon tax is a bit like imposing an alcohol duty on fruit juice.

No wonder Friends of the Earth has accused the Conservatives of dismantling 10 years’ worth of low-carbon policies.

Reducing carbon taxes will primarily help the wealthy who use the most energy.

There will be even less cash for insulation and solar panels for Oxford’s low-income families.

But Oxford residents are desperate for help to insulate their homes.

Fuel poverty in Oxford will, in fact, be made worse by this Government cutting tax credits for working people. More people will be paying higher energy bills.

But windows will not be double-glazed and roofs will not have solar panels.

Oxford City Council has been able to fit solar panels and batteries to store energy on homes in Rose Hill.

We have been able to clad houses in Barton to keep them warmer.

We would do much more if government cash was not already so difficult to find.

Oxford is showing the way to create a low-carbon future.

The low carbon sector already makes up seven per cent of our city economy.

Low carbon is earning £1.15bn a year and employing 8,800 people.

That is according to research by Oxford experts at the Environmental Change Institute and the Low Carbon Hub.

“Oxfordshire is well-positioned to become a low carbon economy leader,” say Nick Eyre and Anne Augustine in a recent report (Oxfordshire’s Low Carbon Economy, October 2014).

The new Government should be getting behind a flourishing low-carbon Oxford.

Instead, Mr Cameron seems determined to take away business opportunities for solar panel installers, climate change researchers and local investors. Future generations will never forgive us if we still fail to play our full part in tackling climate change.

Our planet is becoming hotter and experiencing more extreme weather as carbon dioxide levels increase.

Human beings are pumping millions of tonnes of harmful carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels.

This is pushing our planet towards a two-degree overall increase in temperatures.

The government says it is still committed to the Climate Change Act, passed by a Labour Government.

But it is difficult to see how the United Kingdom will now meet the 80 per cent reduction target in carbon gases by 2050.

Great Britain alone, and still less Oxford, cannot stop global warming.

But it is vital we all play our part . At the end of this year there will be another UN conference in Paris aimed at stopping climate change.

Other governments realise just how important it is that we don’t let another opportunity to act go by.

The run-up to the conference in Paris is no time to weaken Britain’s commitment to saving the planet.

David Cameron should remember the melting icecaps and take climate change seriously again.