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National government action
National governments should treat climate change as the highest priority. This is because of the enormous harm being done to future generations and to the most vulnerable people around the world by the continued burning of fossil fuels, the gross injustice arising from the people who are least responsible being the ones who are most affected, and the obligation to end this injustice.
Comprehensive government reforms are needed
Comprehensive government reforms are needed
- reliable decision making by improving governance
- communication of the urgency of climate action
- energy policy
- home energy
- food supply
- transport.
Reliable decision making: improving governance
Making good decisions in complex areas is not easy. Governments need to make determined efforts to get the decisions right.Governments should comply with relevant codes of conduct, e.g. in the UK the Seven Principles of Public Life (see document 41):
- Selflessness
- Integrity
- Objectivity
- Accountability
- Openness
- Honesty
- Leadership.
- acknowledge and apologise for past errors in promoting fossil fuel use, and/or in counting emissions
- comply with their commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Information
Governments should- be honest about the climate emergency and the need for urgent radical action
- include all emissions in accounting, including imports/exports and aviation.
Energy policy
- stop new fossil fuel extraction projects
- stop fracking
- implement a carbon tax (with corresponding reductions in taxation of low carbon activities), e.g. increase fuel duty and use the revenue to improve public transport, to reduce its cost, and to reduce car dependency in rural areas
- ban advertising of high-emission products and activities.
Transport
- cancel new road building
- cancel airport expansion and plan a rapid decline in air travel
- invest heavily in making walking and cycling safer and more pleasant
- reduce the need to travel: via local shopping, local food production and distribution, and facilitating jobs being close to homes
Home energy
- facilitate home insulation (e.g. via Passiv Haus technology) via subsidies, information and training
First published: 2008
Last updated: 15 May 2023