Working in Europe for Everyone in Yorkshire and the Humber

25th October 2007 - Lib Dems slammed over weakening of climate change targets

Local Euro-MP Linda McAvan has expressed her disappointment after Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament yesterday led moves to water down EU proposals to cut CO2 emissions from cars. Cars account for 12% of CO2 emissions in Europe and cuts are vital to meet the climate change goals signed up to by all EU countries including Britain back in March.

The European Parliament yesterday voted against European Commission proposals to reduce CO2 emissions from cars to 120g by the year 2012. Instead, following the lead Lib Dem and Tory MEPs, it voted to delay reaching climate change goals by 3 years and to weaken the target reduction to 125g CO2. Labour MEPs backed the original Commission target.

Linda McAvan, Yorkshire MEP and Climate Change Spokesperson for the Socialist Group, said:

"Lib Dem MEPs talk a lot about tackling climate change, but they failed to deliver when it came to actually voting for concrete steps to cut CO2 emissions. People should know what has happened. It is very regrettable that, in the face of intense lobbying by the car industry, some British MEPs chose to do a deal with the Conservatives to slow down EU action. The global climate is changing. We cannot afford to wait."

She continued:

"This disappointing vote comes at a crucial time in the run-up to the Bali Summit. The EU needs to show leadership on climate change to bring other countries on board for tough targets on emission reductions."