July 2019 warmest month on record: Friends of the Earth calls on politicians to take action on further climate breakdown

Copernicus Climate Change Service has confirmed that July 2019 was the warmest month on record. Reacting to the announcement, Muna Suleiman, climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:

“The recent heatwaves go far beyond what anyone could call a lovely summer’s day. Extreme heat like this costs lives, and we’re at risk of what is currently defined as extreme becoming the new normal. Climate breakdown is already here but we can stop it from getting worse if our politicians act to slash emissions.”

Friends of the Earth is calling on the government to introduce measures across six key areas, by the end of 2020, in order to get the UK on the road to net-zero emissions.

Transport: Invest in brilliant and cheap public transport, cycling and walking everywhere. New petrol and diesel cars shouldn’t even be for sale within the decade.

Power: Start aiming for 100% clean energy from the wind, sun and sea.  Electricity can’t come from dirty fuels anymore and fracking should be banned.

Buildings: Fund a massive insulation scheme and shift to eco-friendly heating – this will end the misery of cold, expensive-to-heat homes.

Agriculture and land use: Double tree cover and let wildlife thrive - our land is too precious to be given over to intensive farming.

Infrastructure: Start making climate change a deal-breaker in all spending decisions.  That means projects that fuel climate change, like airport expansion, can’t go ahead

International justice: It’s time the UK paid its fair share to support more vulnerable countries to cut carbon pollution and deal with the impacts of climate change.