Minister bows to calls on climate change bill

• Shipping and aviation to count in emission targets • Green campaigners hail 'world-class' legislation
David Hencke, Westminster correspondent
The Guardian,
Monday October 27 2008

The government is to announce tomorrow that it will include rapidly growing aviation and shipping emissions in Britain's commitment to curb its carbon footprint by 80% by 2050.
Ed Miliband, the energy and climate change secretary, will bow to pressure from environmentalists and rebel Labour MPs by announcing he will accept an amendment to include these emission sources in the climate change bill which is due to become law next month.
The decision not to include aviation and shipping, which account for 7.5% of all emissions, was seen as a gaping hole in the government's legislation, which is the first measure of its kind in the world. Up to 86 MPs threatened to back an amendment in the Commons tomorrow, tabled by Elliot Morley, a former environment minister, to include these sources.
The government has not been able to calculate exactly which emissions from international flights and shipping lanes will be attributable to Britain's carbon footprint. But even if an international agreement is not reached, acceptance of the amendment will force Miliband to explain where Britain stands on curbing aviation and shipping emissions.
Environmentalists were delighted with the decision. Friends of the Earth executive director Andy Atkins said: "The final piece of the jigsaw is in place. The world's first climate change law will also be a world-class climate change law.
"The climate change law is a victory in the fight against climate change and a victory for the hundreds of thousands of people who have campaigned to make this happen. People from right around the UK demanded a strong law. The government have listened."
Thom Yorke, Radiohead frontman and supporter of The Big Ask, a campaign to urge the government to take the strongest line possible on climate change, said: "It is a massive step forward for us all, as now we can engage in trying to fight climate change directly as a nation. And it came about simply because hundreds of thousands of people on the ground hassled their MP, who in turn hassled the government. Amazing."
An attempt to kickstart the green motoring industry by spending millions of pounds of public money on environmentally friendly vehicles is also to be unveiled tomorrow. Geoff Hoon, the transport secretary, will announce that some local councils and other public bodies will be given £20m to buy and run electric vans.
He will also provide details of a full-scale trial of electric cars and convenient charging points, first announced by Gordon Brown in the summer. The prime minister has championed electric cars but so far take-up has been tiny - just 0.1% of vehicles on the roads.