Industrialised countries like the UK, which are most responsible for climate change and most able to help avert it, must lead the effort to reduce global emissions; they must cut their emissions first, fastest and most.

The most important cause of climate change globally is the burning of coal, yet the Government is planning a new generation of coal-fired power stations.

Accordingly we call on the Government to:

• Rule out the construction of coal-fired power stations that cannot capture their carbon emissions. An Emissions Performance Standard limiting emissions from all power plants to no more than 350 gCO2/kWh must be introduced to incentivise this and to promote efficient use of fossil fuels (e.g. by heat capture).
• Introduce a transformative programme to promote renewable energy. A minimum of 15% of UK energy needs must be met from renewables by 2020 (including at least 35-40% of electricity demand), in line with our share of the EU-wide target. This will involve large scale investment in training and skills development, investment in manufacturing capacity, changes to the electricity market rules and reform of the planning regime. Our ultimate aim must be to decarbonise the electricity sector by 2030 if not sooner.

Regarding the demonstration of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology:

• Post-combustion CCS (where CO2 is removed from the exhaust gas) should only be tested on existing power plants (rather than building new plants on which to test it).
• Post-combustion CCS should apply to 100% of the exhaust gas from a test plant.
• Pre-combustion CCS (where the input fuel is modified to remove the carbon and store the CO2 before burning the modified fuel) inherently involves 100% capture and hence allows full capture on new coal plant.

Reduce our Total Emissions

Quitting dirty coal is only part of the picture. In terms of the trajectory of total emissions cuts, the UK must:

• Deliver sustained and substantial reductions in annual UK greenhouse gas emissions from now on, reducing them by at least 40% by 2020 (compared to 1990 levels) and aim for decarbonisation by 2050. These reductions must be met without recourse to offsetting emissions with carbon credits (‘trading’) bought from developing countries. As highlighted above, these are minimum requirements subject to possible upwards revision as scientific consensus opinion develops ahead of Copenhagen.

If we are to meet this target then all sectors of the economy must play their full part. Substantial Government intervention in addition to tightly capped carbon markets, will be essential. We will require action by Government across transport, industry, the public sector and all other areas of the economy; every sector must play its part.

There must also be effective action to help UK communities and ecosystems adapt to, and become more resilient towards, climate change.

Become More Efficient

Addressing the supply of energy is only part of the picture; we must make sure we reduce our demand for energy in the first place and use it more wisely. In particular we call on the UK to:

• Massively invest in maximising UK energy efficiency and demand reduction (particularly in the existing housing stock). Efficiency must be increased by at least 20% overall by 2020 (compared to 2009 levels), involving a major investment in training and skills to create the necessary capacity.

A Green New Deal

The domestic and global economic downturn should not be seen as an obstacle to achieving a low carbon economy. In fact the plans that the UK has to inject billions of pounds into stimulating the economy should be seen as an unmissable opportunity to invest in a low carbon economy. Such a Green New Deal would not only help tackle climate change but would also generate hundreds of thousands of new jobs, and help switch the economy towards the renewable use, rather than the depletion, of the Earth’s natural resources.

To accelerate the financing of green infrastructure projects the Government must:

• Give short term support for renewable energy investments: this would include providing loan guarantees for good assets and co-financing good projects
• Establish a ‘green investment bank’ to raise private investment to match public funding.

Finally, in evolving to a low carbon economy the UK must ensure a ‘just transition’ occurs for the workforce. As well as promoting green jobs this would involve investment in skills, training, social protection, and would entail a dialogue across all stakeholders.