'You've lost your credibility on climate change Blair'

Greenpeace told Tony Blair in a Downing Street meeting on climate change that the ever-growing gap between his fine rhetoric on the one hand, and record of inaction and retreat on the other, means that he had lost credibility on climate change, an issue which he acknowledges is the single greatest threat facing civilisation.

The meeting was convened to discuss Blair's plans to lead international diplomatic efforts on climate change during 2005. He is due to address world business leaders tomorrow (Wednesday 26th) at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Together with Friends of the Earth, RSPB and WWF, Greenpeace tried to convince the Prime Minister that:

His aspirations to global leadership are being fatally undermined by domestic failure. Recent retreats on emissions trading, fuel duty and domestic energy efficiency compound a record of failure, which has seen carbon dioxide emissions actually rise since Labour came to power.

His belief that he can persuade George Bush to take climate change seriously is almost certainly false. All the signs are that Bush's position has hardened since his re-election. Instead of fixating on Bush, Blair should be working with progressive opinion in Europe and the US to create a strong framework, which the next US administration can join.

The UK's Presidency of the EU offers more scope for genuine progress than the G8 presidency. Blair should focus on this, and on the possibility of getting the EU to engage China on the climate agenda.

Greenpeace UK Executive Director Stephen Tindale said:

"All the keynote speeches in the world are not going to save the tens of thousands who will die from disease, drought and starvation nor the thousands who will lose their homes to storms and floods. Blair has to stop kow-towing to big business and the Bush administration and announce some concrete measure to cut emissions. Only some real action will restore faith in his willingness to tackle this global crisis.

"This week, the International Climate Change Taskforce made it clear that the UK is simply not doing enough and that in just 10 years we will have passed the point of no return. 2005 could still be the year that the international community finally faces the challenge, and Blair could still lead it, but he has to be willing to walk the walk as well as talk the talk. At the moment people just don't think he's serious."

Greenpeace supported the government's climate policy until November 2004, when the organisation concluded that Blair was no longer sufficiently committed to cutting domestic emissions. Carbon dioxide emissions have risen since New Labour took office. In November, Greenpeace and political action group ACT published an ad in the national press criticising Blair and 123 Labour MPs after the PM instructed them to vote against energy efficiency measures. This failure on domestic energy efficiency came less than a fortnight after the government capitulated to business lobbying on the European emissions trading scheme.

We are demanding that Blair drops his pro business bias when it comes to climate and increase taxes on petrol, diesel and fuel inefficient vehicles like SUVs. He must tackle the substantial increase in aviation emissions and introduce tough environmental standards for all new buildings. He must end to all subsidies for oil, coal and nuclear power and an increase in funding for renewable energy.

For more information please contact Greenpeace Press Office on 0207 865 8255