Monday 14 November 2005

"Despite the huge difference in historic rhetoric on the key issues of climate change and the control of hazardous chemicals, the actual negotiating position of the Prime Minister becomes daily less discernable from that of US President George W Bush," said Andrew Lee, Director of Campaigns for WWF-UK.

"It is becoming clear that all the talking up has been aimed more at trying to please environmentally concerned voters and green organisations than demonstrating the will to actually use leadership in tough negotiations."

Mr Blair's recent comments on the Kyoto Protocol, suggesting that binding targets to cut pollution made people very 'nervous and very worried' and were incompatible with economic success, have undermined the most central plank of climate change policy. His remarks, at a recent energy and environment ministerial meeting, come in the run up to UN talks in Montreal later this month on how to combat climate change after 2012, when the current Kyoto agreement ends.

Under Mr Blair's presidency of the EU, the REACH legislation - designed to protect people and the environment from harmful man-made chemicals - has also been critically weakened and delayed.

The Prime Minster has so far failed to invest political capital in standing up to the German and American governments, which are pushing to undermine the legislation to protect the profits of their chemical industries. If this continues the legislation will provide no real benefit to human health or the environment.

Mr Lee said "The Prime Minister came into office with many opportunities to show environmental leadership, but despite all of his passionate speeches and reassuring words, when the chips are down he has often jumped the wrong way. The Montreal climate talks and REACH may be the last chance he has."