Brown and Ed Miliband to launch document on crucial Copenhagen conference

Gordon Brown is to pledge that the UK will play a leading role in securing global agreement on a new treaty to tackle climate change.

The Prime Minister will launch a document tomorrow outlining what proposals Britain will take to the
Copenhagen conference in December, where world leaders hope to agree on a replacement for the Kyoto protocol.

In a speech at London Zoo, Brown will call on all countries to demonstrate greater urgency in the struggle against climate change.

Speaking ahead of the launch of the Road to Copenhagen document, Ed Miliband, the Climate Change Secretary, warned that public awareness of the dangers of climate change remained too low.

He said: “People are still not sufficiently aware of the scale of the problem this could create for them and future generations in Britain.

“People believe climate change is happening in the UK, most people don't think it's a plot or something made up, but most people don't seem to think it will happen in their area.”

Scientists and campaigners have warned that a failure to significantly reduce carbon emissions in the near future could lead to irreversible damage to the environment.

Miliband emphasised that “defeatism” was not an option and called on leaders to be in the “business of optimism”.

“There's a real danger of defeatism in this debate, a danger people think 'nothing can be done, it's inevitable, let's just hide under the bedclothes’,” he said.

Leaders at Copenhagen will focus on securing the involvement of China and India, both of whom argue that their rapid industrialisation should not be impeded by emissions targets.

They will also debate whether emissions from aviation and shipping should now be included in overall targets.

New research published by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency yesterday found that the developing world produced 50.3 per cent of emissions, exceeding the developed world for the Gordon Brown is to pledge that the UK will play a leading role in securing global agreement on a new treaty to tackle climate change.

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