Minister wants global mass protests on climate change

MILLIONS of people need to unite in a global protest movement to force governments to tackle climate change, a Cabinet minister urged today.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband called for "popular mobilisation" along the lines of Make Poverty History to heap pressure on world leaders to sign a new deal to combat global warming.

"When you think about all the big historic movements, from the suffragettes to anti-apartheid to sexual equality in the 1960s, all the big political movements had popular mobilisation," he told the Guardian.

"Maybe it's an odd thing for someone in Government to say but I think there's a real opportunity and a need here.

"I think back to Make Poverty History and that was a mass movement that was necessary to get the agreement. In terms of climate change, it's even more difficult."

Mr Miliband's intervention comes as international ministers are preparing for UN talks in Poznan, Poland, on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol with a view to securing a final agreement next year in the Danish capital, Copenhagen.

Mr Miliband, whose ministerial responsibility includes climate change, acknowledged that there were "legitimate concerns" about the impact of a deal, especially in the face of a global economic downturn.

Britain faces major social changes to try to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. Millions of motorists must switch to electric cars.

Experts argue that the UK will not be able to meet this target if the Government does not do a Uturn on its aviation policy of allowing airport expansion.

Make Poverty History, which was supported by a string of celebrities including Bob Geldof, Bono and Richard Curtis, was a huge campaign to force world leaders to channel £34 billion into tackling global poverty.

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