Tories and Lib Dems welcome 10:10 climate campaign

Shadow cabinet will pledge to cut emissions by next year while Lib Dems will table motion at autumn conference
David Adam
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 2 September 2009 09.55 BST
Politicians from across the spectrum have welcomed the 10:10 campaign, with the Conservative party pledging their frontbench would sign up, and the Lib Dems putting a motion before their autumn conference for the party to cut its emissions by 10%.
Simon Hughes, the Lib Dem energy spokesman, attended the launch of the 10:10 campaign last night at the Tate Modern gallery, which is in his constituency of North Southwark and Bermondsey.
To a rousing cheer from the large crowd who had gathered to hear the band Reverend and the Makers, he pledged to table a motion at the national conference in Bournemouth in September for the party to sign up.
The shadow energy secretary, Greg Clark, said: "Conservatives strongly support this campaign. Once again it shows how voluntary action can show the way, proving that a low-carbon future is an essential, achievable and urgent priority.
"2010 was the year by which the last three labour manifestos promised a 20% cut in CO2 emissions, perhaps 2010 will be the year when we can have a government that not only signs up to pledges but delivers on them."
Energy and climate secretary Ed Miliband spoke to the crowds at Tate Modern from India via phone link. He pledged to cut his personal carbon footprint and emissions from his department's headquarters by 10% in 2010.
According to a Guardian/ICM poll published today, while almost all Britons claim to have made some effort to live environmentally-friendly lives, almost two-thirds also say they could do more.
The poll also shows strong public support for individual action to reduce carbon emissions, with 85% saying that people should fit low energy lightbulbs, and 86% said that they should turn down their heating.
The Green party said it would encourage its members to join up to the 10:10 campaign, and could table an emergency resolution to its autumn conference on the subject. Caroline Lucas, the leader of the party, said: "I would encourage all Green party members to commit to this, bearing in mind that most Greens will have been striving to reduce their carbon footprints anyway, in some cases for decades, and for many people the next steps towards, for example, carbon-neutral housing, would need to be facilitated by a package of government grants, subsidies and feed-in tariffs."
The Department of Energy and Climate Change said: "The government welcomes the national 10:10 campaign and its challenge to business and the public to cut their emissions by 10% in 2010. With fewer than 100 days until Copenhagen this is a great opportunity to show we are prepared to act.
"By signing up to the 10:10 campaign, we hope people will send a broader message to governments round the world. They need to agree a global deal at Copenhagen that is ambitious in cutting emissions, fair to developing countries and effective in holding countries to their word.
"The 10:10 campaign complements the activities of government. We are doing a huge amount to help people cut emissions. But government can't do everything so we're delighted that there are mass movements such as this."