We need a ‘stronger deal on climate change’ say Lib Dems in Birmingham

• Mar. 14 by Karl Stevens (0)

The Liberal Democrats have used their Spring Conference today in Birmingham to call for a new international body to coordinate efforts for a ‘stronger deal on climate change’.

Issuing a statement, Liberal Democrat Shadow Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Simon Hughes said:

‘There’s no question that Copenhagen was a failure of international leadership. But it also exposed the weakness and fragmentation of a bewildering institutional framework.

Getting a good deal on climate change will be all but impossible without a strong world environment body with the clout to bang heads together.’

The plans, still only light on detail aim for a permanently in session authority which would ‘bring coherence’ to efforts to reach enforceable and binding collective agreements on climate change issues such as carbon emission cuts.

The motion which was swiftly passed by conference also calls for a stable floor price to the carbon market whilst promoting further and increasing investment in lower carbon technologies and a lower carbon economy.

It also reaffirmed the party’s long standing commitment to cutting carbon emissions 40% by 2020.

Hughes also said:

‘If the WTO can adjudicate on trade disputes, then surely the time has come for a UN body that can break the climate deadlock.’