International development agency Christian Aid is very encouraged by the vision of a low-carbon Britain outlined by Prime Minister Gordon Brown today, but says hard choices need to be made now if this is to become a reality.

The Prime Minister's speech today paves the way for real cuts in UK emissions, but he must quickly follow his welcome words with changes in policy, including a commitment to an 80 percent cut in UK emissions by 2050, and a moratorium on the building of any new, conventional coal-fired power stations.

The UK must also finance cuts in emissions in poorer countries, already feeling the impact of climate change, and help them to achieve low carbon economic development.

Christian Aid believes that emission cuts in countries such as the UK must reach at least 80 percent by 2050, must start now, and must be sustained. The PM has promised to look at increasing the government's current target of 60 percent to 80 percent, but the climate change bill, due to become law early next year, is still likely to go through with the lower figure.

Paul Brannen, Christian Aid's head of campaigns, said: "We are very encouraged that the Prime Minister has for the first time spoken about the need for cuts of 80 per cent in our emissions, but even the lower figure of 60 percent will remain elusive if the UK fails to implement now the policies that will help us safeguard the lives of poor people today and of future generations.

"For instance, coal delivered 42% of UK power in 2006, but its carbon emissions were 73% of power sector emissions under the European Union Greenhouse Gas Emission Trading Scheme. (EU ETS). This would strongly suggest that we should be reducing our use of coal fired power stations, the dirtiest of all, which emit twice as much CO2 as gas-fired ones.

"But this week an application to build a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent will land on the desk of John Hutton, the secretary of state for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. If built, this power station is likely to emit in excess of 7 million tonnes of CO2 per annum and be less than 50 per cent efficient. This is unacceptable when many of the world's poorest countries emit significantly less than this one power station would, and more than 1.6 billion people have no access to electricity at all."

As last week's UN IPCC report starkly illustrated, countries such as the UK, with a historical and current responsibility for climate change, must take the lead in making cuts in emissions. Poor people are already suffering the impact of a warming world and it is morally right that the UK and other rich countries lead the way to a fairer society that emits considerably less greenhouse gas.

Because of greater historical responsibility and current wealth, industrialised nations must also be prepared to support low carbon sustainable development initiatives in poorer countries.

But reliance on coal here will squeeze out many of the alternatives the Government will need to meet the renewable targets it has set. A stronger focus on renewable energy would reverse that, and put the UK in a better position to share that technology with poorer countries in the near future.

For further information, or to arrange an interview with a Christian Aid climate change expert, contact Andrew Hogg on 0207 523 2058, 0777 628 4953 and ahogg@christian-aid.org

Notes to editors:

Christian Aid is a member of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, a growing movement, bringing together environment and development organisations, unions, faith, community and women's groups, working together on climate change. Christian Aid is an international development agency working in around 50 countries with people of all religions and none.