A coalition of unions, environmentalists, and companies urged the British government to strengthen climate action after the Cop26 meeting.
The leaders of the trade union organizations TUC, WWF UK, Green Alliance, climate think tank E3G, and CBI and the British Business Leaders Group have sent letters to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rich Sunak, calling on them to implement the Glasgow climate Convention.
The agreement was passed at the United Nations talks in Glasgow hosted by the United Kingdom last month, calling on countries to accelerate climate policies and efforts, and strengthen their national action plans to 2030 by the end of 2022.
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As the UK has been chairman of Cop26 until the Cop27 meeting in Egypt in November next year, these groups have warned the government that it must lead by example and implement the agreement domestically.
The letter called for a new cross-government initiative on how to implement policies faster and take new initiatives to accelerate action.
They urged that the initiative should be led by the Prime Minister’s Office and Cop26 Chairman Alok Sharma, with the participation of other ministries, especially the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The letter called for an overall “net-zero test” of all new policies and plans, and the formulation of further policies on waste and recycling, nature protection, and support for the decarbonization industry.
Public investment in climate action should be increased, local and city authorities should be provided with greater power and funding to speed up transportation and home improvement actions, and measures should be taken to ensure that people have the right incentives and support to reduce household carbon emissions, and Can afford to do so.
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And there should be plans to close the “adaptation gap” identified by the climate consultants to help the UK better prepare for the inevitable effects of global warming, such as more intense heat waves and floods.
CBI Director-General Tony Danker stated that the President of the United Kingdom played a vital role in ensuring progress on Cop26, “but this is just the starting line, not the finish line.”
“The British government must capitalize on this momentum and focus on accelerating action and implementing our ambitious domestic climate goals.
“This will require all government departments to be consistent and to cooperate with companies like never before, and companies are ready to invest and innovate to fulfill their promises.”
TUC Secretary-General Frances O’Grady said: “We call for a substantial increase in public investment in green technology and industry, which will protect employment opportunities in the heart of the UK’s industry.
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“This will also help create high-quality new jobs in the UK.
“This is where the escalation agenda and our net zero goal are achieved-an opportunity for the UK to embark on a path to greater regional equality and prosperity for working people.”
Tanya Steele, Chief Executive Officer of WWF UK, said: “If urgent action is not taken to reverse natural losses and reduce emissions of polluting fossil fuels, we will face the risk of climate catastrophe.
“The UK continues to serve as the chairman of the Conference of the Parties, and the British government has a responsibility to demonstrate international leadership by complying with its climate and nature commitments.”
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Emily Beament is the environmental correspondent for PA.
