Miliband: time to put planet first on climate change

The EU should put the fight against global warming at the heart of all its policies and institutions, according to David Miliband, the UK environment minister.

He said that, as governments prepared for talks on revising the EU treaties, action on climate change would demonstrate the value of the EU to its citizens.

"Let’s work our way through all the spheres of European action and say: are they built for a battle against global warming?" Miliband told European Voice. "And if not, let’s improve them."

Europeans today are united in the belief that something must be done about climate change, said Miliband, and politicians must listen to them: "People will ask in 15, 20 years’ time: what did you do [about climate change]? What did the European institutions do?"

This would mean a close look at every aspect of the modern EU. "Is the sustainable development pillar of the Lisbon Strategy as green as it should be?" Miliband asked. "Are we doing the research and development necessary? Are we mobilising public and private capital in the way that’s essential?"

But Miliband, who has dubbed the EU the "Environmental Union", said that a new treaty was not needed to make Europe greener.

EU leaders meeting next week (21-22 June) in Brussels will start talks on a replacement for the EU constitution, rejected by French and Dutch voters two years ago. The UK government fears that even a revised treaty could face rejection if a referendum were held in Britain.

Speaking on behalf of the EU presidency to the European Parliament on Tuesday (12 June), German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that there was "broad agreement" among member states to include a reference to climate change in any revised treaty, to take account of public concern over new challenges facing the EU.

Miliband refused to comment on ongoing constitution talks and warned against losing popular support for environmental action by rushing things. "We have to take the message from France and the Netherlands seriously," he said. "That is: we should walk before we run."

He pointed to the European emissions trading scheme (ETS) as a successful EU strategy and "commendable" act of climate change leadership from the European Commission, based on the existing treaties.

"We do need a step-change in our approach," he said. "But I think that’s what you’re seeing already…if you’d asked me six months ago I’d have said we need mandatory regulation on car emissions, we need to take the lead on international greenhouse gas emission negotiations. Both of those things are now happening."

"The environment and climate change are in effect a very significant opportunity for Europe to prove its worth," he said. "Some of the most positive press we’ve had about the EU has been about what has happened as a result of working together on these issues."

"We’ve all got to step up our game and push the boundaries very hard," said the environment secretary. But he added that "no one has said to me ‘we can’t do what everyone has agreed is necessary with the existing structures’."

The EU should put the fight against global warming at the heart of all its policies and institutions, according to David Miliband, the UK environment minister.