Both the United Kingdom and Germany came under fresh scrutiny this week as Mary Robinson, the UN special envoy on climate change, attacked the countries for subsidising the fossil fuel industry. The former president of Ireland said she had no choice but to speak out after the UK provided tax breaks for oil and gas companies, whilst Germany pushed ahead with plans to compensate coal power.

Last year, world leaders met in Paris and agreed to phase out fossil fuels in order to tackle climate change. Robinson believes that the actions of the UK and Germany go against the ‘spirit’ of December's agreement. Speaking to The Guardian, she said that “they’ve [the British government] introduced new tax breaks for oil and gas in 2015 that will cost the UK taxpayer billions between 2015 and 2020, and at the same time they’ve cut support for renewables and for energy efficiency.” She says that the move is regrettable. “In many ways, the UK was a real leader [on climate change] and hopefully the UK will become again a real leader. But it’s not at the moment.”

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On Germany, Robinson said that whilst they’re on track to end coal subsidies by 2018, they’re also “introducing new mechanisms that provide payment to power companies for their ability to provide a constant supply of electricity, even if they are polluting forms, such as diesel and coal.” She called on Germany to make a real commitment to move away from coal energy.

Just last week the new UK Prime Minister Theresa May came under pressure as she scrapped the Department of Energy and Climate Change. This latest bit of criticism has UN officials and campaigners worried that the UK is starting to neglect its commitment to tackling climate change. Robinson, however, says that her criticism isn’t limited to just these two countries. “We want all countries to end subsidies,” she said.

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Robinson’s attack was echoed by The Elders, a group of international statesmen and women including figures like Desmond Tutu and former President Jimmy Carter. The group, founded by the late Nelson Mandela, warned that they had “major concerns” about the implementation of the Paris agreement. As a group they strongly advocated for the Paris agreement, but are unimpressed with the actions of world leaders. “Sadly, what we are seeing so far this year does not convince us that leaders, especially of wealthy and large emitting countries, are acting in accordance with the vision they publicly embraced in Paris,” said the group. “Climate change matters to every aspect of the new development agenda. Without action to reduce carbon emissions and increase resilience, development cannot be sustainable.”

The Elders and Mary Robinson are right. Climate change is the biggest threat facing our planet at the moment. And often it’s the poorest in this world that suffer the most because of it. If world leaders are serious about making the Global Goals a success, then words need to backed up with real action. Paying lip service will help no one.

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Defend the Planet

The UK Has Just Lost Its Position as a Climate Leader

By Paul Abernethy