British voters with Brexit on their minds punish main parties in local elections - The Washington Post

LONDON — British voters punished the country’s two main political parties in local elections, according to partial results on Friday, with anger over Brexit cited as the most likely reason. 

The governing Conservative Party looked set to lose the largest number of seats, with growing calls on the embattled prime minister, Theresa May, to resign. 

Speaking at the Welsh Conservative conference on Friday, May said that the results were “very difficult for our party,” and that they showed that voters wanted both main parties to “just get on and deliver Brexit.”

She was heckled by a Conservative activist who stood up and shouted, “Why don’t you resign?” adding, “We don’t want you.” He was booed out of the hall, and May replied to the crowd in Welsh with “Good afternoon.”

Three years after Britons voted to leave the European Union, the vexing issue of Brexit seemed to still be a dominant force at the ballot box. 

Local elections are usually contests over who can better organize the recycling bins and help out the shops on Main Street or sometimes even a protest vote against the governing party. But like all elections since the Brexit vote, these ones seemed to be something of a proxy vote on the 2016 E.U. referendum. 

An even bigger test looms with Britain’s European elections on May 23, where Britain faces the awkward prospect of electing politicians to institutions it’s trying to leave. 

Those results could be even more fragmented as two new political parties will be fielding candidates: Nigel Farage’s newly launched Brexit Party and a pro-E.U. party called Change UK.

The elections were held in many parts of England and Northern Ireland on Thursday, with results rolling in throughout the day on Friday. Not all councilors or districts are up for election every year. 

Politicians in both of the main parties were quick to point the finger at Brexit for their poor performance. Over 8,000 seats were up for grabs in the elections; the Conservative Party had held over 60 percent of them going into the elections. At the time of writing, the Conservative Party had lost over 700 seats and the opposition Labour Party had lost more than 80 with two-thirds of the results in.

[Brits pretend they’re sick of Brexit. But truth is they’re obsessed.]

The Liberal Democrats, a pro-E.U. centrist party, and other smaller and independent parties, looked set to be the big winners of the day. 

But as ever with Brexit, the vote was split, with some voters wanting it to hurry up and be over, while others didn’t want it to go ahead at all. 

John McDonnell, a senior figure in the Labour Party, tweeted on Friday morning: “We’ll see what final results of local elections look like by end of day as they are pretty mixed geographically up to now but so far message from local elections — ‘Brexit — sort it’. Message received.” 

Labour chairman Ian Lavery told the BBC that Brexit was “trumping” his party’s arguments against austerity. “People want to see Brexit over and done with,” he said. 

Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister of Scotland and from the Scottish National Party, tweeted: “If the message Labour takes from English local elections is that they should now be the facilitator of a Tory Brexit, I suspect their troubles will just be beginning.”

May and the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn are holding cross-party talks in hopes of finding a way through the Brexit impasse. 

Tony Travers, a politics professor at the London School of Economics, said that the election results as of Friday morning appeared to be showing “disenchantment with Conservatives and Labour because of the broader of mess of Brexit.” 

Read more:

Britain will not leave the E.U. next week after European leaders allow a short Brexit reprieve

Brexit: Parliament rejects soft Brexit, second referendum

Dump May? Approve her plan? Some scenarios for what might be next for Brexit Britain.

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/british-voters-with-brexit-on-their-minds-punish-main-parties-in-local-elections/2019/05/03/38bc32f6-6d93-11e9-a66d-a82d3f3d96d5_story.html

2019-05-03 12:28:44Z
52780283646711

Brexit Backlash in U.K. Local Elections as Main Parties Lose Seats - The New York Times

LONDON — Britain’s two main political parties suffered a severe rebuke from voters in local elections, according to results announced on Friday, in an indication of frustration and disenchantment over the country’s stalled withdrawal from the European Union.

The early results from the vote on Thursday showed that Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party had lost more than 400 seats, while the opposition Labour Party was down about 80, in a contest for thousands of elected positions in local municipalities across much of England and in Northern Ireland.

By contrast, two parties that oppose Brexit — the centrist Liberal Democrats and the Greens — did well in the vote, as did independent candidates, underscoring the rejection of the country’s main political forces.

Though big losses had been predicted for the Conservative Party, with many questioning Mrs. May’s leadership over Brexit, Labour’s disappointing performance was more of a surprise, analysts said, particularly given the recent chaos surrounding Mrs. May’s government.

In theory, electors were voting on local issues — councils control services like trash collection and planning — but experts said the backlash was a reflection of a growing disdain among voters over the Brexit malaise.

“What the voters have been saying is, ‘A plague on both your houses,’ ” Britain’s leading polling expert, John Curtice, a professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde, told the BBC.

Voters were so annoyed by the current state of British politics, Professor Curtice added, that they were effectively punishing whichever party had been strong in their area.

Parliament is at an impasse over Brexit, which has been delayed twice after lawmakers voted against Mrs. May’s exit plans three times. Amid a sour national mood, several candidates in the local elections had suffered physical attacks during the campaign.

The results of the vote, which took place in many but not all parts of the country, looked ominous both for Mrs. May and for Jeremy Corbyn, Labour’s leader.

On Friday, Prime Minister Theresa May acknowledged in a speech to Conservative Party members in Wales that the election results had been “very difficult.”

“There was a simple message from yesterday’s elections to both us and the Labour Party: Just get on and deliver Brexit,” she said.

During the speech, a former county councilor, Stuart Davies, heckled Mrs. May and called for her to resign. After he was escorted out, he told the BBC, “I am furious at what she has done to our party.”

Mr. Corbyn said he was disappointed by the results and “wanted to do better.”

The two main parties are trying to negotiate a joint approach to Brexit, though those talks have so far not yielded a breakthrough.

The Conservatives had faced a particularly tough task because the last time the seats were contested was in 2015, on the same day as elections for the national Parliament in which the party — then led by David Cameron — won a surprise victory.

Labour, in contrast, did not do so well in 2015, and this time around, experts said, its path should have been easier. But early evidence suggested that it had not succeeded in appeasing either supporters of Brexit in the north and in the middle of the country, or opponents in big cities and in the southeast.

Labour had said that it would support a second Brexit referendum, but only in some circumstances, and that it wanted to negotiate an alternative exit deal.

Barry Gardiner, who speaks for the party on international development, told the BBC that there were “two competing principles here, and we are trying to hold them in tension.”

Though Labour believes that there is a way to reconcile them, Mr. Gardiner admitted, “if a party is seen to be speaking with two voices, it’s very difficult to communicate the policy.”

The parties will now gear up for elections to the European Parliament on May 23, when two new parties that did not run on Thursday will take part: the Brexit Party, which backs leaving the European Union quickly and without an agreement if necessary; and Change UK, which wants to remain in the bloc.

The Brexit Party, led by Nigel Farage, the former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party, is being particularly closely watched — recent opinion polls suggest it is tied with Labour for the lead in those elections, or even ahead, and taking much of its support from former Conservative voters.

In Thursday’s local elections, the United Kingdom Independence Party, which remains a hard-line pro-Brexit party but has taken a turn to the right under its new leader, Gerard Batten, lost more than 50 seats.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/03/world/europe/uk-local-elections.html

2019-05-03 08:52:30Z
52780283646711

Brexit Backlash in U.K. Local Elections as Main Parties Lose Seats - The New York Times

LONDON — Britain’s two main political parties suffered a severe rebuke from voters in local elections, according to results announced on Friday, in an indication of frustration and disenchantment over the country’s stalled withdrawal from the European Union.

The early results from the vote on Thursday showed that Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party had lost more than 400 seats, while the opposition Labour Party was down about 80, in a contest for thousands of elected positions in local municipalities across much of England and in Northern Ireland.

By contrast, two parties that oppose Brexit — the centrist Liberal Democrats and the Greens — did well in the vote, as did independent candidates, underscoring the rejection of the country’s main political forces.

Though big losses had been predicted for the Conservative Party, with many questioning Mrs. May’s leadership over Brexit, Labour’s disappointing performance was more of a surprise, analysts said, particularly given the recent chaos surrounding Mrs. May’s government.

In theory, electors were voting on local issues — councils control services like trash collection and planning — but experts said the backlash was a reflection of a growing disdain among voters over the Brexit malaise.

“What the voters have been saying is, ‘A plague on both your houses,’ ” Britain’s leading polling expert, John Curtice, a professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde, told the BBC.

Voters were so annoyed by the current state of British politics, Professor Curtice added, that they were effectively punishing whichever party had been strong in their area.

Parliament is at an impasse over Brexit, which has been delayed twice after lawmakers voted against Mrs. May’s exit plans three times. Amid a sour national mood, several candidates in the local elections had suffered physical attacks during the campaign.

The results of the vote, which took place in many but not all parts of the country, looked ominous both for Mrs. May and for Jeremy Corbyn, Labour’s leader. The two parties are trying to negotiate a joint approach to Brexit, though those talks have so far not yielded a breakthrough.

The Conservatives had faced a particularly tough task because the last time the seats were contested was in 2015, on the same day as elections for the national Parliament in which the party — then led by David Cameron — won a surprise victory.

Labour, in contrast, did not do so well in 2015, and this time around, experts said, its path should have been easier. But early evidence suggested that it had not succeeded in appeasing either supporters of Brexit in the north and in the middle of the country, or opponents in big cities and in the southeast.

Labour had said that it would support a second Brexit referendum, but only in some circumstances, and that it wanted to negotiate an alternative exit deal.

Barry Gardiner, who speaks for the party on international development, told the BBC that there were “two competing principles here, and we are trying to hold them in tension.”

Though Labour believes that there is a way to reconcile them, Mr. Gardiner admitted, “if a party is seen to be speaking with two voices, it’s very difficult to communicate the policy.”

The parties will now gear up for elections to the European Parliament on May 23, when two new parties that did not run on Thursday will take part: the Brexit Party, which backs leaving the European Union quickly and without an agreement if necessary; and Change UK, which wants to remain in the bloc.

The Brexit Party, led by Nigel Farage, the former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party, is being particularly closely watched — recent opinion polls suggest it is tied with Labour for the lead in those elections, or even ahead, and taking much of its support from former Conservative voters.

In Thursday’s local elections, the United Kingdom Independence Party, which remains a hard-line pro-Brexit party but has taken a turn to the right under its new leader, Gerard Batten, lost more than 50 seats.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/03/world/europe/uk-local-elections.html

2019-05-03 08:49:37Z
52780283646711

Climate change: UK 'can cut emissions to nearly zero' by 2050 - BBC News

The UK should lead the global fight against climate change by cutting greenhouse gases to nearly zero by 2050, a report says.

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) maintains this can be done at no added cost from previous estimates.

Its report says that if other countries follow the UK, there’s a 50-50 chance of staying below the recommended 1.5C temperature rise by 2100.

A 1.5C rise is considered the threshold for dangerous climate change.

Some say the proposed 2050 target for near-zero emissions is too soft, but others will fear the goal could damage the UK's economy.

The CCC - the independent adviser to government on climate change - said it would not be able to hit “net zero“ emissions any sooner, but 2050 was still an extremely significant goal.

The main author Chris Stark told me: “This report would have been absolutely inconceivable just a few years ago. People would have laughed us out of court for suggesting that the target could be so high.”

The main change, he said, was the huge drop in the cost of renewable energy prompted by government policies to nurture solar and wind power.

He said the BBC's David Attenborough climate documentary, protests by Extinction Rebellion and speeches by the teenage campaigner Greta Thunberg had persuaded the public that the problem needed urgent action.

But Mr Stark said there was no way the 2050 target would be achieved unless the government backed it with policies and money.

He noted that the UK was already slipping away from a legal obligation to cut its emissions step-by-step between now and 2032.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

The cost of the new proposal, the CCC estimates, is tens of billions of pounds a year and may reach to 1-2% of national wealth (as measured by GDP) each year by 2050. That doesn’t count the benefits of decarbonisation - such as cleaner air and water.

The CCC said England can eliminate emissions by 2050, while Scotland could go carbon-free sooner - by 2045. Scotland has exceptional potential for planting trees (which absorb carbon dioxide) and is more suited for carbon capture and storage.

Wales can only cut 95% of its emissions by 2050 because of its farm industry. Northern Ireland will follow England’s targets.

The government is studying the report, which has substantial implications for public finances, and says it "sets us on a path to become the first major economy to legislate to end our contribution to global warming entirely".

How do you reach zero emissions?

The plan is for “net zero“ emissions by 2050, which means balancing carbon emissions with carbon removal. In practice, we'll need to slash the amount of CO2 we put in the atmosphere.

Unavoidable emissions need to be captured and stored (for example, where CO2 is collected from a power station chimney and put underground) or offset by planting trees.

Until now, the target had been to reduce emissions by 80% compared with 1990 levels by 2050.

How this affects you

The CCC believes that achieving zero emissions depends on low-carbon technologies and changes to industry, and public behaviour.

Here are some of the report's recommendations for the public.

Home heating

The report has one controversial recommendation: to turn down the home thermostat to 19C in winter.

We will need to insulate our homes much better. Some of us will use heat pumps - a sort of reverse refrigeration technology that sucks warmth from the ground - and convert natural gas boilers to hydrogen ones.

The committee expects consumer bills to rise at first, then fall as a newer, cheaper electricity generators are introduced.

Flying

The aviation industry is trying to bring down the cost of making jet fuels from waste materials.

But the CCC says this won’t be enough. The number of flights we take is increasing, and the report predicts that government action will be needed to constrain the growth.

However, it doesn’t say how – and the committee chair, John Gummer, ducked a question about Heathrow expansion at the report's launch.

Cars

The report says we won't need to overhaul our motoring habits, but eventually we will be driving electric cars.

The government has set a target date of 2040 beyond which conventional car sales will be banned. However, the committee says that deadline should be 2030.

Meat

The committee notes many people are already eating less red meat for the health of the planet and themselves.

It says people can reduce their diet-related emissions by 35% if they transition from a high-meat diet to a low-meat one. But it only predicts a 20% drop in meat consumption by 2050.

Waste

Bio-degradable waste should not be sent to landfill after 2025. This means we would all be obliged to separate our food waste from other rubbish. The report recommends reducing food waste as far as possible.

What else can I do?

Media playback is unsupported on your device

The CCC says people can also take the following steps:

• Choosing to walk, cycle or take public transport
• Choosing LED light-bulbs and electric appliances with high energy efficiency ratings
• Setting the water temperature in their heating systems to no higher than 55C
• Using only peat-free compost
• Choosing quality products that last longer and sharing rather than buying items, like power tools, that are used infrequently
• Checking your pension funds and ISAs to see if your investments support low-carbon industries

Which businesses and sectors would be affected?

The big push is to decarbonise industry and heat generation. Carbon capture technology will be needed on many of the major emitters: the steel, paper, aluminium and paper industries.

Agriculture is a major emitter of greenhouse gases through sheep and cattle burping methane, and from fertilisers.

Farmers would need to reduce the amount of land in pasture, increase woodland, and feed cattle food that creates less methane gas.

The fracking industry would also be affected - the committee says we should only use fracked gas in the UK if it replaces gas that would otherwise be imported.

What's been the response?

Environmental groups are supportive - although many think 2050 is too conservative.

The UK Health Alliance on Climate Change has called on the government to adopt the recommendations but "adopt a net-zero target before 2050".

Lorna Greenwood of Extinction Rebellion told me: "2050 condemns us to a bleak future... Others are already dying round the world thanks to inaction and far-off target setting."

The environmental campaign group WWF has said: “The problem is, we’ve been acting as if we have time. But if we want a world with coral reefs, safe coastal cities and enough food for everyone, we must act now."

Business and industry groups have expressed support but argue they need government help.

Rain Newton-Smith, chief economist at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said: “The UK should do all it can to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. What we need now is a supportive and timely response from the government to enact this ambitious target."

Sign up for a weekly chat about climate change on Facebook Messenger

Meanwhile, Minette Batters, president of the farm union NFU, told me: “We take the climate issue very seriously. With Brexit and the government’s Agriculture Bill the government can shift farm support towards helping farmers reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Meanwhile, Dr Shaun Fitzgerald, director of The Royal Institution, said: “I am a massive supporter of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

But he added: "Will people be prepared to set their winter time thermostat to 19C? Asking people to put up with a reduction in comfort/quality is going to be difficult."

Follow Roger on Twitter.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48122911

2019-05-02 15:48:27Z
CBMiNWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9zY2llbmNlLWVudmlyb25tZW50LTQ4MTIyOTEx0gE5aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvbS9uZXdzL2FtcC9zY2llbmNlLWVudmlyb25tZW50LTQ4MTIyOTEx

Climate change: UK 'can cut emissions to nearly zero' by 2050 - BBC News

The UK should lead the global fight against climate change by cutting greenhouse gases to nearly zero by 2050, a report says.

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) maintains this can be done at no added cost from previous estimates.

Its report says that if other countries follow the UK, there’s a 50-50 chance of staying below the recommended 1.5C temperature rise by 2100.

A 1.5C rise is considered the threshold for dangerous climate change.

Some say the proposed 2050 target for near-zero emissions is too soft, but others will fear the goal could damage the UK's economy.

The CCC - the independent adviser to government on climate change - said it would not be able to hit “net zero“ emissions any sooner, but 2050 was still an extremely significant goal.

The main author Chris Stark told me: “This report would have been absolutely inconceivable just a few years ago. People would have laughed us out of court for suggesting that the target could be so high.”

The main change, he said, was the huge drop in the cost of renewable energy prompted by government policies to nurture solar and wind power.

He said the BBC's David Attenborough climate documentary, protests by Extinction Rebellion and speeches by the teenage campaigner Greta Thunberg had persuaded the public that the problem needed urgent action.

But Mr Stark said there was no way the 2050 target would be achieved unless the government backed it with policies and money.

He noted that the UK was already slipping away from a legal obligation to cut its emissions step-by-step between now and 2032.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

The cost of the new proposal, the CCC estimates, is tens of billions of pounds a year and may reach to 1-2% of national wealth (as measured by GDP) each year by 2050. That doesn’t count the benefits of decarbonisation - such as cleaner air and water.

The CCC said England can eliminate emissions by 2050, while Scotland could go carbon-free sooner - by 2045. Scotland has exceptional potential for planting trees (which absorb carbon dioxide) and is more suited for carbon capture and storage.

Wales can only cut 95% of its emissions by 2050 because of its farm industry. Northern Ireland will follow England’s targets.

The government is studying the report, which has substantial implications for public finances, and says it "sets us on a path to become the first major economy to legislate to end our contribution to global warming entirely".

How do you reach zero emissions?

The plan is for “net zero“ emissions by 2050, which means balancing carbon emissions with carbon removal. In practice, we'll need to slash the amount of CO2 we put in the atmosphere.

Unavoidable emissions need to be captured and stored (for example, where CO2 is collected from a power station chimney and put underground) or offset by planting trees.

Until now, the target had been to reduce emissions by 80% compared with 1990 levels by 2050.

How this affects you

The CCC believes that achieving zero emissions depends on low-carbon technologies and changes to industry, and public behaviour.

Here are some of the report's recommendations for the public.

Home heating

The report has one controversial recommendation: to turn down the home thermostat to 19C in winter.

We will need to insulate our homes much better. Some of us will use heat pumps - a sort of reverse refrigeration technology that sucks warmth from the ground - and convert natural gas boilers to hydrogen ones.

The committee expects consumer bills to rise at first, then fall as a newer, cheaper electricity generators are introduced.

Flying

The aviation industry is trying to bring down the cost of making jet fuels from waste materials.

But the CCC says this won’t be enough. The number of flights we take is increasing, and the report predicts that government action will be needed to constrain the growth.

However, it doesn’t say how – and the committee chair, John Gummer, ducked a question about Heathrow expansion at the report's launch.

Cars

The report says we won't need to overhaul our motoring habits, but eventually we will be driving electric cars.

The government has set a target date of 2040 beyond which conventional car sales will be banned. However, the committee says that deadline should be 2030.

Meat

The committee notes many people are already eating less red meat for the health of the planet and themselves.

It says people can reduce their diet-related emissions by 35% if they transition from a high-meat diet to a low-meat one. But it only predicts a 20% drop in meat consumption by 2050.

Waste

Bio-degradable waste should not be sent to landfill after 2025. This means we would all be obliged to separate our food waste from other rubbish. The report recommends reducing food waste as far as possible.

What else can I do?

Media playback is unsupported on your device

The CCC says people can also take the following steps:

• Choosing to walk, cycle or take public transport
• Choosing LED light-bulbs and electric appliances with high energy efficiency ratings
• Setting the water temperature in their heating systems to no higher than 55C
• Using only peat-free compost
• Choosing quality products that last longer and sharing rather than buying items, like power tools, that are used infrequently
• Checking your pension funds and ISAs to see if your investments support low-carbon industries

Which businesses and sectors would be affected?

The big push is to decarbonise industry and heat generation. Carbon capture technology will be needed on many of the major emitters: the steel, paper, aluminium and paper industries.

Agriculture is a major emitter of greenhouse gases through sheep and cattle burping methane, and from fertilisers.

Farmers would need to reduce the amount of land in pasture, increase woodland, and feed cattle food that creates less methane gas.

The fracking industry would also be affected - the committee says we should only use fracked gas in the UK if it replaces gas that would otherwise be imported.

What's been the response?

Environmental groups are supportive - although many think 2050 is too conservative.

The UK Health Alliance on Climate Change has called on the government to adopt the recommendations but "adopt a net-zero target before 2050".

Lorna Greenwood of Extinction Rebellion told me: "2050 condemns us to a bleak future... Others are already dying round the world thanks to inaction and far-off target setting."

The environmental campaign group WWF has said: “The problem is, we’ve been acting as if we have time. But if we want a world with coral reefs, safe coastal cities and enough food for everyone, we must act now."

Business and industry groups have expressed support but argue they need government help.

Rain Newton-Smith, chief economist at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said: “The UK should do all it can to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. What we need now is a supportive and timely response from the government to enact this ambitious target."

Sign up for a weekly chat about climate change on Facebook Messenger

Meanwhile, Minette Batters, president of the farm union NFU, told me: “We take the climate issue very seriously. With Brexit and the government’s Agriculture Bill the government can shift farm support towards helping farmers reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Meanwhile, Dr Shaun Fitzgerald, director of The Royal Institution, said: “I am a massive supporter of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

But he added: "Will people be prepared to set their winter time thermostat to 19C? Asking people to put up with a reduction in comfort/quality is going to be difficult."

Follow Roger on Twitter.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48122911

2019-05-02 14:56:23Z
52780283272974

Climate change: UK 'can cut emissions to nearly zero' by 2050 - BBC News

The UK should lead the global fight against climate change by cutting greenhouse gases to nearly zero by 2050, a report says.

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) maintains this can be done at no added cost from previous estimates.

Its report says that if other countries follow the UK, there’s a 50-50 chance of staying below the recommended 1.5C temperature rise by 2100.

A 1.5C rise is considered the threshold for dangerous climate change.

Some say the proposed 2050 target for near-zero emissions is too soft, but others will fear the goal could damage the UK's economy.

The CCC - the independent adviser to government on climate change - said it would not be able to hit “net zero“ emissions any sooner, but 2050 was still an extremely significant goal.

The main author Chris Stark told me: “This report would have been absolutely inconceivable just a few years ago. People would have laughed us out of court for suggesting that the target could be so high.”

The main change, he said, was the huge drop in the cost of renewable energy prompted by government policies to nurture solar and wind power.

He said the BBC's David Attenborough climate documentary, protests by Extinction Rebellion and speeches by the teenage campaigner Greta Thunberg had persuaded the public that the problem needed urgent action.

But Mr Stark said there was no way the 2050 target would be achieved unless the government backed it with policies and money.

He noted that the UK was already slipping away from a legal obligation to cut its emissions step-by-step between now and 2032.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

The cost of the new proposal, the CCC estimates, is tens of billions of pounds a year and may reach to 1-2% of national wealth (as measured by GDP) each year by 2050. That doesn’t count the benefits of decarbonisation - such as cleaner air and water.

The CCC said England can eliminate emissions by 2050, while Scotland could go carbon-free sooner - by 2045. Scotland has exceptional potential for planting trees (which absorb carbon dioxide) and is more suited for carbon capture and storage.

Wales can only cut 95% of its emissions by 2050 because of its farm industry. Northern Ireland will follow England’s targets.

The government is studying the report, which has substantial implications for public finances, and says it "sets us on a path to become the first major economy to legislate to end our contribution to global warming entirely".

How do you reach zero emissions?

The plan is for “net zero“ emissions by 2050, which means balancing carbon emissions with carbon removal. In practice, we'll need to slash the amount of CO2 we put in the atmosphere.

Unavoidable emissions need to be captured and stored (for example, where CO2 is collected from a power station chimney and put underground) or offset by planting trees.

Until now, the target had been to reduce emissions by 80% compared with 1990 levels by 2050.

How this affects you

The CCC believes that achieving zero emissions depends on low-carbon technologies and changes to industry, and public behaviour.

Here are some of the report's recommendations for the public.

Home heating

The report has one controversial recommendation: to turn down the home thermostat to 19C in winter.

We will need to insulate our homes much better. Some of us will use heat pumps - a sort of reverse refrigeration technology that sucks warmth from the ground - and convert natural gas boilers to hydrogen ones.

The committee expects consumer bills to rise at first, then fall as a newer, cheaper electricity generators are introduced.

Flying

The aviation industry is trying to bring down the cost of making jet fuels from waste materials.

But the CCC says this won’t be enough. The number of flights we take is increasing, and the report predicts that government action will be needed to constrain the growth.

However, it doesn’t say how – and the committee chair, John Gummer, ducked a question about Heathrow expansion at the report's launch.

Cars

The report says we won't need to overhaul our motoring habits, but eventually we will be driving electric cars.

The government has set a target date of 2040 beyond which conventional car sales will be banned. However, the committee says that deadline should be 2030.

Meat

The committee notes many people are already eating less red meat for the health of the planet and themselves.

It says people can reduce their diet-related emissions by 35% if they transition from a high-meat diet to a low-meat one. But it only predicts a 20% drop in meat consumption by 2050.

Waste

Bio-degradable waste should not be sent to landfill after 2025. This means we would all be obliged to separate our food waste from other rubbish. The report recommends reducing food waste as far as possible.

What else can I do?

Media playback is unsupported on your device

The CCC says people can also take the following steps:

• Choosing to walk, cycle or take public transport
• Choosing LED light-bulbs and electric appliances with high energy efficiency ratings
• Setting the water temperature in their heating systems to no higher than 55C
• Using only peat-free compost
• Choosing quality products that last longer and sharing rather than buying items, like power tools, that are used infrequently
• Checking your pension funds and ISAs to see if your investments support low-carbon industries

Which businesses and sectors would be affected?

The big push is to decarbonise industry and heat generation. Carbon capture technology will be needed on many of the major emitters: the steel, paper, aluminium and paper industries.

Agriculture is a major emitter of greenhouse gases through sheep and cattle burping methane, and from fertilisers.

Farmers would need to reduce the amount of land in pasture, increase woodland, and feed cattle food that creates less methane gas.

The fracking industry would also be affected - the committee says we should only use fracked gas in the UK if it replaces gas that would otherwise be imported.

What's been the response?

Environmental groups are supportive - although many think 2050 is too conservative.

The UK Health Alliance on Climate Change has called on the government to adopt the recommendations but "adopt a net-zero target before 2050".

Lorna Greenwood of Extinction Rebellion told me: "2050 condemns us to a bleak future... Others are already dying round the world thanks to inaction and far-off target setting."

The environmental campaign group WWF has said: “The problem is, we’ve been acting as if we have time. But if we want a world with coral reefs, safe coastal cities and enough food for everyone, we must act now."

Business and industry groups have expressed support but argue they need government help.

Rain Newton-Smith, chief economist at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said: “The UK should do all it can to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. What we need now is a supportive and timely response from the government to enact this ambitious target."

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Meanwhile, Minette Batters, president of the farm union NFU, told me: “We take the climate issue very seriously. With Brexit and the government’s Agriculture Bill the government can shift farm support towards helping farmers reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Meanwhile, Dr Shaun Fitzgerald, director of The Royal Institution, said: “I am a massive supporter of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

But he added: "Will people be prepared to set their winter time thermostat to 19C? Asking people to put up with a reduction in comfort/quality is going to be difficult."

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https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48122911

2019-05-02 14:03:19Z
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UK Parliament declares climate change emergency - BBC News

MPs have approved a motion to declare an environment and climate emergency.

This proposal, which demonstrates the will of the Commons on the issue but does not legally compel the government to act, was approved without a vote.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who tabled the motion, said it was "a huge step forward".

Environment Secretary Michael Gove acknowledged there was a climate "emergency" but did not back Labour's demands to declare one.

The declaration of an emergency was one of the key demands put to the government by environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion, in a series of protests over recent weeks.

Addressing climate protesters from the top of a fire engine in Parliament Square earlier, Mr Corbyn said: "This can set off a wave of action from parliaments and governments around the globe.

"We pledge to work as closely as possible with countries that are serious about ending the climate catastrophe and make clear to US President Donald Trump that he cannot ignore international agreements and action on the climate crisis."

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What is a climate emergency?

Dozens of towns and cities across the UK have already declared "a climate emergency".

There is no single definition of what that means but many local areas say they want to be carbon-neutral by 2030.

Some councils have promised to introduce electric car hubs or build sustainable homes to try to achieve that goal.

It's a much more ambitious target than the UK government's, which is to reduce carbon emissions by 80% (compared to 1990 levels) by 2050.

Read more here

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Labour's motion also calls on the government to aim to achieve net-zero emissions before 2050 and for ministers to outline urgent proposals to restore the UK's natural environment and deliver a "zero waste economy" within the next six months.

The Welsh and Scottish governments have both already declared a climate emergency, along with dozens of towns and cities, including Manchester and London.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-48126677

2019-05-02 10:30:54Z
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