Miliband pledges world-wide climate deal

British energy secretary, Ed Miliband, has pledged to put the country at the forefront of the international battle against climate change.


Mr Miliband, speaking in London today (March 31), is determined to get over his ‘disappointment’ following last December’s Copenhagen climate talks.

He says the British Government will ‘kick-start’ a renewed push for a global climate deal.

Mr Miliband said prime minister Gordon Brown co-chairing a United Nations High Level Advisory Group on Climate Finance in Downing Street as he spoke was a sign of the UK’s determination.

The talks, which Include Lord Stern and high level US financial advisors, will look at how the world will deliver on its commitment to provide $100bn of public and private finance a year by 2020.

Describing the talks ‘the most significant climate meeting since Copenhagen’ Mr Miliband said: “We’ve got to dust ourselves down and kick-start efforts to get a global deal.

“Get the climate finance flowing and make sure the cuts promised by countries happen.

“We need to do this, not just for environmental reasons, but also for economic ones.

“In the UK, strategic intervention by the Government is unlocking green investment and generating jobs for the future.

“Low carbon growth will be stronger, and businesses will have greater certainty, when the world agrees to a legally binding deal.”

Mr Miliband backs a ‘strengthening’ of the UN’s decision making process that was so ‘frustrating’ at Copenhagen.

He also want to build on the Copenhagen Accord, in which countries have put forward actions that, if delivered in full, would see global emissions peak before 2020, a key step towards achieving the UK’s two degrees goal.

Mr Miliband also announced plans for a consultation on a low carbon skills strategy, which includes part funding for up to 2500 apprenticeships in the emerging wind energy sector.

Luke Walsh

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