WDM

Ed Miliband's energy policy leaves UK's credibility at Copenhagen in tatters

AndyBrace — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:03:04 +0000

In response to Ed Miliband's energy statement to parliament today, the World Development Movement reacted with disappointment and argued that the UK's credibility at Copenhagen has been 'shattered'.

Campaigners land blow on 'oil and gas' bank

AndyBrace — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:07:39 +0100

The government has been roundly criticised from various quarters for the use of public cash to bail out and prop up RBS. Scandals over Sir Fred's pension and now the ten million pound salary and bonus package for the new RBS boss have been grabbing headlines and stoking public outrage. And rightly so. Now the World Development Movement, along with PLATFORM and People and Planet, have dealt a further blow to the government's hands off approach to how it manages the billions of pounds of taxpayers' money poured into the self-styled 'oil and gas' bank.

Government faces environmental legal challenge over RBS

AndyBrace — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:29:43 +0100

The World Development Movement, PLATFORM and People & Planet have today launched legal action against the Treasury for allowing public money, poured into the Royal Bank of Scotland to be invested in energy companies, and projects linked to climate change and human rights violations.

World Development Movement response to the government's 'Road to Copenhagen'

AndyBrace — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:53:10 +0100

The World Development Movement strongly criticises the government's 'Road to Copenhagen' as 'riddled with pot holes.'

Tim Jones, climate policy officer at the World Development Movement said:

Brown told: ‘Rich don’t have the answers to the crisis’ Criticism of Prime Minister’s commitment to a ‘new politics’ as he shuns

AndyBrace — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:52:11 +0100

Campaigners today criticised Gordon Brown for refusing to send a cabinet minister to the United Nations summit on the economic crisis (1), but personally attending the 'outdated and elitist' G8 meeting in July.

Jubilee Debt Campaign, the World Development Movement and War on Want argue that as the vast majority of the world’s countries are not invited to the G20 or G8 meetings, the UN summit is vital in enabling those least responsible for the crisis to make fair and effective decisions on the future of the world economy.

Want to change the world? Its time to 'Think Global'.

AndyBrace — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:53:15 +0100

Financial crisis, climate crisis and growing food shortages don't have to spell doom and gloom. It's time to use this wake up call to make another (better!) world possible.

Come to 'Think Global', the World Development Movement's free London campaigner convention on 6th June, to find out how you can be part of making it a reality.

WDM welcomes end of unabated coal but fears CCS technology is "a giant gamble with the climate"

AndyBrace — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:40:45 +0100

The World Development Movement welcomed Ed Miliband’s announcement that there is no place for unabated coal in our energy future at a time of climate crisis. However, the campaign group warned that the proposal leaves a giant loop hole that could still lead to disastrous levels of emissions before 2025. The proposed new plant at Kingsnorth in Kent could alone emit as much as the whole of Ghana each year.

“I’m delighted that the Minister has finally recognised there is no place for unabated coal at this time of climate crisis.” said Benedict Southworth, WDM’s Director.

Green and Brown shoots in a schizophrenic budget

AndyBrace — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:33:01 +0100

Alistair Darling's budget reveals the government's 'schizophrenic' green credentials, according to the World Development Movement.

Julian Oram, head of policy at the World Development Movement said: "The government is allocating £525 million for offshore wind but is providing tax cuts to big business to extract 2 billion barrels of' oil and gas. Tackling climate change requires keeping fossil fuels in the ground, not extracting every drop we can. This reveals the schizophrenic nature of the government's green credentials.

G20 outcome – 'a bitter pill for the world’s poor' says banned World Development Movement

AndyBrace — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:31:08 +0100

he G20 outcome is ‘a bitter pill to swallow’ for the world’s poorest people says the World Development Movement, the anti-poverty group that was banned at last minute from attending the G20 summit. The campaigners are dismayed that the G20 leaders have missed an historic opportunity to launch a global recovery plan that will benefit poor people and tackle the climate crisis.

Julian Oram, head of policy at the World Development Movement said:

What the World Development Movement wants at the G20

AndyBrace — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:39:36 +0100

This briefing includes the World Development Movement's critique and recommendations to the G20 leaders on the following areas: trade v protectionism; refuelling the IMF; resurrecting the WTO Doha development round; the climate crisis and the Green New Deal.
This is not just a banking crisis.

The banks have collapsed and been bailed out. And the global economic system as a whole has broken down, and must be radically revised to ensure that it puts people and the planet first.

35,000 people call G20 to put people first

AndyBrace — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:03:27 +0100

35,000 people call G20 to put people first

A new movement was born on 28 March 2009, with the World Development Movement at its heart, as over 35,000 people marched through London calling for a fundamental change in the world economy to deliver decent jobs and public services for all, an end to global poverty, and a green economy.

Brown's Green New Deal must have 'action today, not green gestures for tomorrow'

AndyBrace — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:48:27 +0000

In response to today’s ‘low carbon summit’ launched by Gordon Brown, Benedict Southworth, director of the World Development Movement said:

UK's 'green' aid to be spent on building new coal power stations in developing world

AndyBrace — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 11:10:30 +0000

The World Development Movement slammed a UK government plan to put almost £400 million of 'green' aid designed to assist developing countries low carbon development into a World Bank fund that will subsidise new dirty coal power plants.

The £400 million represents almost half of the UK’s Environmental Transformation Fund – Gordon Brown’s flagship £800 million fund to assist developing countries to deal with the impacts of climate change and develop low carbon economies.

Benedict Southworth, director of the World Development Movement said:

The World Development Movement criticises police over ‘summer of rage’ comment

AndyBrace — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:07:20 +0000

Murray Benham, head of campaigns at the World Development Movement said:

“This ill-considered outburst from the Metropolitan police is yet another example of a distasteful habit of crying wolf about peaceful protest.

“These remarks are insulting to the hundreds of thousands of voters who exercise their democratic right to peaceful protest and freedom of expression.

Campaigners from developing world demand ban on new UK coal power

AndyBrace — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:06:15 +0000

Today, UK based anti poverty campaigners, the World Development Movement revealed that over 30 organisations from the developing world have written to Ed Miliband to demand that he bans new coal power, and scraps the controversial plan for a new coal power station at Kingsnorth in Kent.

Murray Benham, head of campaigns at the World Development Movement said:

Huge new alliance to tell world leaders to put people first

AndyBrace — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:05:46 +0000

A huge new platform of unions, development agencies, faith and environmental groups plans to tell world leaders attending the G20 summit in April that only just, fair and sustainable policies can lead the world out of recession.

The alliance, which includes the TUC, Oxfam, ActionAid, Friends of the Earth and CAFOD, is calling on people to join a major demonstration for jobs, justice and climate in London on Saturday 28 March, five days before the summit.

Government hides carbon emissions with creative accounting

AndyBrace — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:46:12 +0000

New government figures released today revealing that UK carbon emissions are significantly down are ‘spin, aided by creative accounting’ say the World Development Movement.

The government has announced that UK carbon emissions have fallen by 13 per cent since 1990. But this figure has been manipulated to include carbon credits, and discounts emissions from aviation. A proper analysis of the figures by the World Development Movement reveals that UK carbon emissions have fallen by just 5 per cent since 1990.

'Green Heathrow' – a global embarrassment for the UK

AndyBrace — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:44:16 +0000

'Green Heathrow' – a global embarrassment for the UK
15 January 2009

The government has employed the most dangerous greenwash of our times today by dubbing the announcement of the third runway, 'green Heathrow'.

Benedict Southworth, director of the World Development Movement said:

"We’re incredibly angry about this disastrous decision. I'm in my 40s but I'll probably be dead by the time the aviation industry has to take responsibility for its carbon emissions.

Flights from Heathrow's third runway will emit same greenhouse gas emissions as Kenya

AndyBrace — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:43:10 +0000

Heathrow decision: 'Government is all mouth and no trousers on climate change' say World Development Movement.

Flights from the new third runway at Heathrow will produce the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as Kenya every year according to figures from the World Development Movement.

Benedict Southworth, director of the World Development Movement said:

Britain's day of climate shame

AndyBrace — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:34:42 +0000

This morning, (10 Jan) the average person in Britain will have already produced more carbon in 2009 than a person from the poorest countries emits in a whole year warns the World Development Movement [1].

Benedict Southworth, director of the World Development Movement said:

"It is shocking that by today the average Briton will have already produced more carbon this year than someone in a poor country will in the whole of 2009. The world’s poorest people contribute little to climate change but will suffer most from its consequences."

UK government withdraws support for GCM’s mining project in Bangladesh

AndyBrace — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:49:04 +0000

Minister backtracks on previous statements over controversial mine project following campaign by WDM

UK company Global Coal Management Resources’ (GCM) plans to build an open-cast coal mine in Phulbari, north-west Bangladesh appeared in jeopardy after a UK government minister withdrew official support for the project. If built the mine would take away the land of more than 40,000 people, and compromise the water supply of a further 100,000.

Europe’s climate credibility slips away

AndyBrace — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:59:34 +0000

In Poznań Europe’s credibility as a leader on climate change has slipped away. Commenting on the unsatisfactory conclusion of the UN negotiations on climate change Tim Jones, the World Development Movement’s Climate Policy Expert, who is currently at the talks in Poznań commented:

Overall outcome

Time for confusion and contradiction on coal is over; it’s time to say no to Kingsnorth

AndyBrace — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:14:53 +0000

The independent committee on climate change today launched its report of recommendations for the government relating to building a low carbon economy. The World Development Movement welcomes the report and hopes that it means that finally ‘time for confusion and contradiction on coal is over; it’s time to say no to Kingsnorth.’

Benedict Southworth, director at the World Development Movement said in response to the committee’s recommendations:

On coal and CCS

WDM launches UN Poznań climate change conference blog

AndyBrace — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:37:43 +0000

Tim Jones, policy officer for the World Development Movement is travelling to Poland to attend the UN climate conference talks.

Governments from around the world are gathering in Poznań, Poland, as part of negotiations on an international agreement for tackling climate change.

They meet at a time when the world is in financial turmoil and old assumptions about how the world should work are being challenged. And they meet as climate change continues to impact communities around the world, from the Philippines to Peru, Australia to the Arctic, the Maldives to Malawi.

UK pollution will be responsible for 10 million climate refugees worldwide

AndyBrace — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:16:25 +0000

10 million people could be forced to leave their homes due to the UK's contribution to climate change according to a new report released today by the anti-poverty group, the World Development Movement.

The report also reveals that 30,000 new climate refugees could be created if Kingsnorth coal power station goes ahead. The report comes on the first of two days of protest against E.ON's Kingsnorth plans (Friday 28 and Saturday 29 Nov).

Campaigners' emails against Bangladesh mine bounced round Whitehall

AndyBrace — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:27:13 +0000

Campaigners against a UK company’s controversial coal mine project in Phulbari, Bangladesh, which could displace more than 40,000 people, have been involved in a bizarre ‘ping-pong’ between the Department for International Development (DfID) and the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR).

Gordon Brown must call time on global greed to solve financial crisis

AndyBrace — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:25:44 +0000

Demonstration: 6.30-7.30 pm, Monday 10 November 2008

Anti-poverty and environmental groups representing over nine million people today urge Prime Minister Gordon Brown to call time on the global greed responsible for the worst financial crisis in history.

Groups campaigning for justice for the world's poor will be demonstrating as Brown addresses the City tonight at the Lord Mayor of London's banquet.

Campaigners and politicians warn loophole in climate bill could see UK carbon emissions rise.

AndyBrace — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:25:54 +0000

The World Development Movement welcomes the government’s commitment to a climate bill that includes an 80 per cent greenhouse gas emission reduction target, but warns that, despite the target, a loophole in the bill could allow emissions to rise in the UK.

Dr Julian Oram, head of policy at the World Development Movement explained:

EU trade commissioner: Ashton time for a new approach

AndyBrace — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:24:52 +0100

Responding to the confirmation of Baroness Catherine Ashton as the new European Trade Commissioner by the European Parliament today, Benedict Southworth, Director of the World Development Movement, said:

Responding to Brown’s Crisis Plan: new world order must be pro poor not pro bank

AndyBrace — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:39:38 +0100

16 October 2008

Last night, Gordon Brown set out proposals to fix the broken global economy, including fundamental reform of the IMF and World Bank. Analysis of the operations of the World Bank and the IMF leaves the World Development Movement sceptical that reform of these powerful institutions is possible.

Benedict Southworth, director of the World Development Movement said:

Flights from Stansted after expansion will emit more CO2 than Tanzania

AndyBrace — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:48:19 +0100

Today’s announcement to expand the number of flights from Stansted airport will mean that each year, flights from the airport will emit more CO2 than Tanzania, where an estimated 4000 people die every year from climate change related causes. The World Development Movement brands this move as ‘simply irresponsible and unfathomable’.

Tim Jones, climate change policy officer at the World Development Movement, said:

Royal Bank of Scotland sells its shares in Phulbari mine scheme

AndyBrace — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:12:28 +0100

British bank Royal Bank of Scotland has sold its shares in Global Coal Management Resources (GCM ltd), the British company behind the Phulbari open-cast mine project in Bangladesh.

In August 2008, 110 organisations from across the world wrote to RBS calling on it to withdraw its investment from the disastrous Phulbari project. The British bank has now responded by selling its shares, held through subsidiary ABN Amro, and telling campaigners RBS is “no longer an investor in GCM Resources”.

Final nail in the coffin for Heathrow expansion and Kingsnorth

AndyBrace — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:06:48 +0100

Today’s, report from the influential committee on climate change has recommended that the UK cuts greenhouse gases emissions by at least 80 percent and that this target should include emissions from aviation and shipping. The World Development Movement welcomes this news as a potential ‘reprieve’ for the poorest people in the world.

Benedict Southworth, director of the World Development Movement said:
“These recommendations will potentially be a reprieve for the world’s poorest people, whose lives and livelihoods are threatened the most by dangerous climate change.

New climate and energy department must be department of clarity on climate change, not contradiction

AndyBrace — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:12:21 +0100

he World Development Movement cautiously welcomes the new department for climate and energy but warns that is must from its outset be the ‘department of clarity and not contradiction’ to what is sure to be a crucial and controversial brief.

Julian Oram, head of policy at the World Development Movement said:

Do the economic arguments for aviation growth really fly?

AndyBrace — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:59:50 +0100

Aviation industry’s fossil-fuelled fantasies threaten livelihoods of world’s poor.

Today, as UN World Tourism Day focuses on climate change, new research says economic case for airport expansion is unfounded, and international tourism is more of a risk than a benefit for developing nations.