Climate Change Is Wash-Out

Speech delivered on Fri 2nd Feb 2007

Solar powered street-lights - from schoolboy joke to environmental reality

I'm a strong believer that one of our biggest failings in the developed world is the constant procrastination from political leaders on the subject of climate change.

Whether it is George W Bush who sough election on the back of refusing to sign the Kyoto treaty or Tony Blair's failure to persuade him to change his mind, the fact is that time is slipping away and before long it'll all be too late.

But there's more to the issue than the global context.

Just as it is no good saying "Britain isn't a big polluter in the world so we needn't do anything" - then it is no good saying we've no responsibility here in Lambeth.

I was very disappointed that when Labour published their glossy corporate plan last year it contained not a single proposal to look at climate change or carbon emissions. Where were the proposal to support micro-generation? What about tougher requirements on the builders of new housing? Let alone the idea that the council should actually spend some money now to play its part in reducing emissions?

All were absent in the draft corporate plan. And despite complaints from Lib Dems they were absent in the finished version too.

But we weren't prepared to let it go. As a good opposition we used the tools we have to push on with the issue. Through scrutiny and through the council meeting we got agreement at least in principle for more to be done.

But what, I hear cynical politicos musing, will that actually achieve?

Well the answer arrived today in the cabinet papers. It is that the cynics are right. Much is planned but only on the proviso that it must cost nothing to do.

Not a penny.

Not until 2008/2009.

And then it will only be "considered".

When I look at the enormous progress on green issues that councils like Lib Dem controlled Woking have achieved it makes me green with envy. They've been rolling out environmental schemes like there's no tomorrow.

But here our Labour leaders have their own special "Lambeth Protocol". They will declare on Thursday (during the daytime when residents are at work or picking up children from school) that Lambeth is so green that it will do any environmental measure provided it saves the council money now.

It's hard to imagine a more short-sighted view.