World Can't Wait For Government To Wake Up - Teather

9.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 21st Oct 2009

Local MP Sarah Teather has pledged to do her bit for the environment

Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather was the only MP in Brent to vote for tough climate-busting emission cuts from all government departments and public sector bodies next year.

A motion put before parliament by Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg MP called on the government to sign up to the radical 10:10 campaign, which asks businesses, individuals and public bodies to pledge to cut their carbon emissions by 10% in 2010.

Labour MPs voted against the motion, opting to let Gordon Brown off the hook on tough climate targets. The vote was a further blow to Labour's environmental credentials after giving the approval for a third runway at Heathrow Airport earlier this year.

Sarah has made a personal commitment to the environment by signing up to the 10:10 campaign. This week Brent Council also signed up while launching their new environmental policy.

Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather said:

"Many hundreds of people across Brent have contacted me asking me to take action against the threat to our planet from climate change. I was proud to vote for Whitehall and all public sector organisations to make a significant cut to their carbon emissions over the coming year.

"Climate change is something anyone who is committed to social justice should feel passionately about. If we don't take action now it will have a devastating impact on the poorest people in the world and the consequences are terrifying.

"The beauty of the 10:10 campaign is that it shows how individual people can make a difference. I have signed up to the campaign and hope that many other local people and businesses in Brent will do the same.

"It's now absolutely critical that governments across the world show some leadership and pledge to make the same commitment that millions of ordinary people have done. Sadly, the vote this week shows that the Labour government here in the UK have still not woken up to the devastating threat that we face from climate change."

Local Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Councillor Daniel Brown said:

"Dawn Butler has put her loyalty to Gordon Brown ahead of the fight to save our planet. This is a staggering betrayal of all those people in Brent and across the world who are crying out for the government to show leadership.

"It's truly frightening that Brent's Labour MPs have chosen to stick their heads in the sand on such a critical issue. Dawn Butler must promise people in Brent that she will start taking climate change seriously, before it is too late."

Related Links:

10:10 Campaign.

Liberal Democrat 10:10 Motion.

Sarah Teather's speech on climate change.