Labour government blocks 1010 motion

The Labour government tonight blocked a Lib Dem sponsored motion calling on Parliament, government departments and the public sector to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 10% in 2010.

The vote was supported by the Conservatives but was defeated by the government who had a majority of 79. Instead they voted through an amendment supporting the aims and ambitions of the 10:10 Campaign but sidestepping the question of whether the UK public sector should have to reduce emissions by 10%.

Here's the Labour amendment:

"This House welcomes the 10:10 campaign as a motivator of public action to cut carbon emissions through individual and collective behaviour change, recognises the value of such campaigns to build public support for action by governments to agree an ambitious effective and fair deal at Copenhagen, recognises the significant effort made by individuals and organisations to cut their emissions through the 10:10 campaign, supports the world first Climate Change Act introduced by this government and the system of carbon budgets that enables Britain to set itself on a low carbon pathway, notes that carbon budgets ensure active policies by Whitehall departments and the public sector that deliver long term sustained emissions reductions not just in 2010 but through to 2022 and beyond, supports the efforts of local councils to move towards local carbon budgets by signing up to the 10:10 campaign, welcomes the allocation of up to £20m for central government departments to enable them to reduce further and faster carbon emissions from their operations, estate and transport and further welcomes the cross-cutting Public Value Programme review of the low carbon potential of the public sector, which will focus on how the sector can achieve transformational financial savings through value for money carbon reductions"

They missed a real opportunity to show leadership in my opinion.

Fifty-six councils, with a responsibility for providing services to more than 10m people, have so far signed up or committed publicly to 10:10.

In his speech in today's debate the Conservative shadow energy and climate change minister, Greg Barker MP, said that he would be encouraging Tory councils to sign up to 10:10. That sounds like good news. At the moment only 12 out of 209 Tory councils (more than half of all local authorities in the UK) have signed up or committed publicly to 10:10.