Blair Pronounces Climate Change "Critical", Gives Topic A Whole 10 Minutes

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Environmentalists and green groups have poured scorn on the prime minister's commitment today to a new climate change group backed by big business. Mr Blair has given his backing to the Climate Group, which brings together financial institutions and business leaders and politicians to identify "best practice" on carbon emissions and climate change.

Although the prime minister was originally due to give a keynote speech at the event, in the end he only spoke for 10 minutes.

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Speaking at the launch, Mr Blair described climate change as "the most important environmental issue facing the world today". "By bringing together progressive businesses, states and cities from across the world, the Climate Group will enable these organisations to show leadership and to demonstrate the benefits of taking early action to cut greenhouse gas emissions," he said.

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However, his involvement has been criticised by opposition politicians as "tokenism". "Last week we were invited to a 'keynote speech' by the prime minister. But yesterday his spokesman told us he would just 'drop in'. This is completely unacceptable," said the Liberal Democrats' environment spokesman, Norman Baker. "We know the prime minister regards environmental matters as mere tokenism. But we at least expected his ritual once-a-year speech on the issue. "Now it seems he has so little to say that even that as been abandoned, proving that the environment is rock bottom on Mr Blair's agenda."

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http://politics.guardian.co.uk/green/story/0,9061,1204535,00.html