The environmental policies of Gordon Brown

Posted on Monday 19 November, 2007
Filed Under Environment

 


Brown is the new green. Or at least that’s what New Labour wants us to believe. The prime minister is set to deliver his first major speech on the environment today, with the spin doctors flagging up the likelihood of tougher domestic targets on carbon emissions and probably a doubling of renewable energy targets to boot.

Far be it from me to belittle targets per se. Before dramatic changes can be brought about in any aspect of public policy, it is as well to plan for them first. But targets are one thing and delivery is another. Our experience of target culture in education, education, education surely underlines that.

Electoral expediency has forced Brown’s rivals – both Labour rivals such as Tony Blair and Tory rivals such as David Cameron – to talk a good game on green issues. In truth, Blair delivered little.

On a Monday he tell us that climate change is the most important issue facing the planet, and then on a Tuesday, call for three new runways in the south of England so we can double air travel over the next two decades.

Then again, mainstream politicians have failed to tackle inequality or stand up to the power of the media, the corporations and the bankers. So can we trust them over the environment?

Over the past 50 years, humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than in any comparable period in human history. This has generated massive gains in human wellbeing and economic development, of course.

But there have been considerable negative consequences, including a substantial and irreversible loss of biodiversity, and wide-ranging environmental degradation.

The global poor bear the worst effects. The environment is often a principal factor in poverty and social conflict. So yes, it is a class issue.

Just as it used to be argued that there is no such thing as socialism in one country, the actions of one country alone cannot save the environment.

Work must start now on a much tougher Kyoto II, ready when present agreement expires in 2012. This time it must include China and India. If Brown is even remotely serious, Britain will be pushing for a serious mechanism to cap carbon emissions globally, and one that works rather better than the joke EU carbon permits scheme.

Again, if he wants to convince us of his environmental credentials, let’s have some real evidence in today’s speech that Brown is willing to do the green thing, even if it that includes steps that will earn him a rough ride from tabloid leader writers.

Sadly, I’m not expecting a halt to all road-building, the introduction of year-by-year targets to reduce car usage by boosting public transport and limitations on environmentally deleterious cheap flights – just to pluck a few badly-needed steps at random – to figure among the announcements in today’s speech.


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Comments

5 Responses to “The environmental policies of Gordon Brown”

  1. Derek Wall
    on November 19th, 2007 at 14:04

    A good post…i am blogging on this nearly every day.

    At least the Greens and the left are more interested in ecosocialism than either used to be and the diy movement is mobilising against the runways and roads

  2. Janine
    on November 19th, 2007 at 20:58

    I think that what we should argue for is an Emergency Plan of environmental measures – ones that don’t just set targets, but take power away from the polluters and act in working-class interests.

    Then you’d need to argue for the sort of government that could implement such an Emergency Plan …

  3. Letters From A Tory
    on November 20th, 2007 at 07:41

    Until China and India are held to account for their use of cheap polluting energy, the UK will have little impact on climate change. Brown wants to be seen as tough on the issue but ultimately he has little power acting by himself. The EU as a trading bloc is the only organisation capable to pressuring other countries into changing their ways.

  4. Lawrie Coombs
    on November 20th, 2007 at 10:55

    Notions of ecosocialism are important. The left in general has had a mixed approach to environmental issues in the past and I can certainly remember in my time as a member of the Militant tendency some people envisaging socialism as a turbo charged version of capitalism where everyone would have three jags! Ironically the SP today appears to have at least thought about these issues more seriously, although clearly it is not a cental focus for them.

    The issue is creating a society where being environmentally friendly is seen as a preferable option and one that people will defend, rather than making people feel guilty.

    A lot more thinking and action is needed on these issues. Environmental issues, specifically climate change is THE issue in contemporary politics. That is why increasingly on the left we are being forced to consider the issue more seriously. It is ironic that more people today seem to question the long term viability of capitalism and yet the notion of a socialist alternative has never seemed more marginal.

  5. Jon
    on November 20th, 2007 at 22:42

    I believe proposers of climate change action should be held responsible for producing a few simulation runs to model potential benefits.

    For all we know, Kyoto might’ve only had the potential to reduce warming 1/100th of a degree over the next century. Or it might be enough to nearly stop global warming if implemented; WE DON’T KNOW.

    Shouldn’t we use these fine models we’re paying so much for if we’re going to potentially slow our economy noticeably? Notice that either making fuel or flights more expensive will also make life harder for the poor, maybe even more than global warming.