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Currie and Balerno News 352

1 December 2009

I'm struck by the central role played by churches in the area. Last month I was invited to speak to the Balerno Parish Church on my job as Member of Parliament. It was an enjoyable evening – we covered a wide range of subjects.

One of the many questions I was asked about was progress on climate change and the meeting in Copenhagen in December. Climate change is something we all need to be concerned with and this meeting is important - more than 180 countries will come together to thrash out a new international deal to tackle climate change. It will be difficult to get an agreement – but we need to try.

For the first time, the government has published what the UK will be arguing for in the negotiations – to limit climate change to 2 degrees by making sure global greenhouse gas emissions start to reduce by 2020 and reach at most half of their 1990 levels by 2050, keep countries to their word with strong monitoring and provide support to the poorest countries to cut their emissions and adapt to climate change.

This last point is crucial. Left unchecked, we will all feel the negative effects of climate change in the years to come, but the impact will be particularly devastating for the world's poorest people.

I'd like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the work the churches do in keeping this issue and others firmly in the front of our minds.

Finally, may I take this opportunity to wish readers a very happy Christmas and a good New Year.