But he pointed out that without further action they would soon start to rise again, reflecting growth in the economy. The new policies and measures in the draft programme will keep emissions on a downward path, cutting them more than 21 per cent below 1990 levels by 2010 - a cut of nearly 10 per cent more than our Kyoto target. Calling for a thorough re-think of the way we live and work and pointing to the benefits, both environmental and economic, of getting ahead of the game, the Deputy Prime Minister said that the programme maps out a radical look to the future and lays out a strategic approach for the next two decades. For the meantime they should only be used where there are no safe, cost effective, practical and environmentally acceptable alternatives. The UK action set out in the programme is part of the world's fight against climate change.
Scientific research predicts worldwide risks.
Rising seas will threaten coastal communities and environments, temperature changes will increase desert areas, threaten the rainforest and increase exposure to pests and diseases. The European Union can and should provide global leadership on climate change. And I am determined that, whether or not Kyoto is in force, the UK will meet its emissions target. The website sets out the causes and effects of climate change. It shows how children and young people can make a real difference.