London MEP welcomes commitment to long-term dialogue on climate change

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 14th Jan 2005

The European parliament has backed the outcome of the Buenos Aires Conference on climate change which agreed, despite US sabotage attempts, to start a new international dialogue in May 2005 to search for new responses beyond the 2012 expiry of the Kyoto Protocol.

London's Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford said:

"Global warming is not only affecting low-lying Third World islands or even just the Antarctic ice cap. It is happening right here in London, where the greatly increased frequency of having to raise the Thames Barrier - which may soon be inadequate - is bringing home to Londoners the realities of climate change."

"Flooding has affected many parts of Britain recently, and it is getting worse. I know what it is like to have your home flooded; it happened to me in 1983. The EU must encourage bold international as well as local action, and try by our example to persuade the US, China and India to join us."

"The EU is to be congratulated on the start of its emissions trading scheme this month. But it must also take further measures to encourage energy saving and a switch to renewable energy sources, a step I have taken at home and in my London constituency office."

The Kyoto Protocol on climate change enters into force on 16 February this year, having been ratified by 132 countries. While the EU has recently been reported to be on track to meets its Kyoto targets of emission reductions, the US and other countries refuse to sign up.