Joan Ruddock: The EU Deal Is Crucial for a Global Deal

The Climate Community: At the moment, COP14 is under way in Poznan. What is the UK government's position on the COP process leading to COP15?

Joan Ruddock: We don't expect a great deal of new outcomes in Poznan. We want to see the deal kept on track. We accept that this year is about ideas and discussions – so that next year the route to Copenhagen can give us real measures and a full, binding commitment. That is what we all need to aim for globally.

And we have a little more reason for optimism now because we have seen the election of Barack Obama as president in the U.S. This offers a new opportunity for the world. As we understand it, President-elect Obama has accepted that there is a need for the U.S. to participate more fully in combating climate change. He has accepted that climate change is one of the biggest dangers facing us and made the issue a priority for his administration.

These signs are all new compared to what we have seen under the current administration. We appreciate it takes time to turn around any government, and to come to the point where a binding agreement can me made. We don't underestimate the work ahead for him and his administration.

CC: What is the UK government working towards in Copenhagen at COP15, and how will you work towards getting there?

JR: First priority for us is what is happening at the current meeting for the Environmental Council in Brussels. Here they are working to get a European agreement. This agreement would be one of the most powerful signals for concluding a global agreement. It is the most important thing the EU can do. We believe that if we do not offer to the rest of the world a deal then of course we diminish the likelihood of getting consent for a global deal.

CC: How does the UK propose the BRIC countries (China, India, Brazil, etc.) should take part in the process towards Copenhagen?

JR: We are in constant dialogue with the BRIC countries. We have bilateral dialogue with them; we are supporting technology change. We want to stress to them that we are sincere and we are using our Climate Change Act. This is a legally biding agreement by the UK to reduce CO₂ by 80% by 2050. We are making this commitment, and it is consistent with the 50% reduction [called for by the IPCC] globally.

We believe we can do it because we can change our society. We have set in place an emissions trading scheme; we have domestic regulation; we have put in place incentives; and we have behavior change programs. We can achieve these targets. We propose greater investments in renewable, and we will try to get an international agreement on carbon capture and storage. This is how we believe we can demonstrate that we have a sincere position. We will offer help and support to them.

At the end of the day, we are responsible for 2% of the emissions. It will not save us from dangerous climate change. There is only thing that will save us, and that is a global deal.

CC: What is the UK government's position on German Chancellor Angela Merkel favoring the Indian proposal to peg emission cuts to a global per capita number?

JR: In terms of methodology and accounting we haven't taken a particular position we are always happy to hear the debate.

CC: There have been skeptical voices rising in the UK about the government's willingness to act aggressively on climate change, despite promising remarks from Ed Miliband lately. How committed is the UK government in meeting the legally binding requirements put for by the Committee on Climate Change? And how do you propose to meet them?

JR: The Committee on Climate Change gave us advice. We amended our own legislation.We have established this independent committee of experts and we have three months to respond in the carbon budgets and put them into law – by June 2009 – and make them legally binding. Then the committee will also report on our progress. At the moment, there is a huge political pressure from NGOs, civil society – all part of society in the UK. We are very, very committed to this. We know it's the right thing to do. And, more importantly, we believe it will be good for the economy.

CC: How does the UK government propose to loosen up the long permit approval process to speed up the deployment of renewables to the grid?

JR: There has been justifiable criticism. Our grid system is very old and not designed for new technology. The new Energy Act concluded last week will make it easier to get planning consents through. It provides us with a framework to increase the acceleration of renewables. We follow Denmark's example in wind energy. And now we are surprised and pleased to find that we find ourselves overtaking [Denmark] on offshore wind.

We have a significant new mountain to climb, which is to comply with the 2020 proposals. We are going from 1.5% up to 15% renewables of our total energy. We are pressing hard for the EU 2020 package, and we wouldn't do it if we really believe that we could not do it.

The financial crisis is no escape. We can't think that this is a reason to stop planning for the future. We have got to develop a low-carbon economy. We can't afford to delay. Some of the work that has to be done can create new jobs.

CC: How does the government propose to reach the targets without buying credits from developing countries?

JR: What we have said is that we have to do a real domestic effort. There is no reason trying to escape CO₂ reductions at home. We will be making substantial reductions at home. The government believes it can be helpful for developing countries to by offsets from them. We don't believe that this mechanism should be blocked in any way. It might have had some real problems; however, they can be advantageous. We want them to be in a global binding agreement. We don't rule this out. We will set it in secondary legislation.

CC: On Saturday [December 6], the annual climate change march is happening in London. How do you plan to listen to the protesters?

JR: We always listen. I hope very much that this year the protesters will be focusing on the road to Copenhagen. I believe they have had a huge influence on the UK public opinion over last year. That's why we were able to get all-party support for the measure we have put in place. We are the first in the world with such binding commitments.

I hope very much that people will take that and argue the case of how people in other countries should do this. I would like this movement to become an international movement. It would be tremendous. We need to keep and build the moment – continuously.