'Shocked' Blair Warns over Climate Change

12:41pm (UK)

By Amanda Brown, Environment Correspondent, PA News

Prime Minister Tony Blair warned today that “time is running out” over climate change and disclosed he is “shocked” by the latest scientific forecasts about the future.

Mr Blair, who will later make a keynote speech on the subject, said “it is a huge issue”, and it is important to get the political will in place to deal with the threat of changing weather patterns.

The premier spoke out at a round-table discussion between professionals working in industry and the “green” movement, held at the headquarters of energy company Solar Century in London.

He told them: “It is a huge issue and time is running out.

“When we had the last presentation on this from Government scientists, I was quite shocked at how the evidence of the speed of this is gathering.”

Mr Blair said his Government had seven years ago “played a major role” in getting the Kyoto agreement, which legally binds countries to making cuts in carbon dioxide emissions.

“We did all that. I suppose seven years ago there was a lot of scientific debate, but what has persuaded me subsequently is that the more the scientific evidence accumulates, the more obvious it is.

“There’s no other explanation, otherwise we are living through some sort of phenomenal thing for which there’s no explanation.

“But if you look at the evidence, it is absolutely clear what is happening.

“And I think, even if there are issues about what is the exact impact, your instinct tells you that it can’t be good and I think this is a really important issue.

“The only problem with it is that it is not here and now in terms of its impact for the broad mass of the population.

“And so what you are having to do the whole time is say to people well, in fact it is here and now.

“You may not recognise that when you walk out of the front door, but the evidence is accumulating.

“I think the other thing that is really shocking about this is, even if you implemented Kyoto, it would stabilise emissions when they need to be substantially reduced.

“Yet I am convinced that if people really decide they are going to deal with this, they could.”

Mr Blair said it was important to get the political will in place and persuade the public at large “this is something they should demand from their political leaders”.

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