Kirsty pledges to help Stop Climate Chaos! (Kirsty Williams AM )

Kirsty pledges to help Stop Climate Chaos!

November 27, 2009 12:00 AM

k & Dai the dragon Kirsty Williams AM for Brecon and Radnorshire, this week gave a message to Dai the Blue Welsh Dragon to show her commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Wales by 40% (from 1990 levels) by 2020.

Stop Climate Chaos (SCC) Cymru held a Blue Dragon event at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay on Wednesday 25 November, to support a global climate deal that will aim to keep global warming under 2 ºC.

Dai is the Welsh Climate Dragon, turning blue alongside the thousands of climate activists, who have adopted the colour in the run-up to the international climate talks in Copenhagen this December.

Dai the Welsh Blue Dragon started his journey in Rhayader, Powys, where he was created by Russell Kirk and volunteers from the CARAD Community Group.

His first stop was at the Senedd in Cardiff to meet Jane Davidson Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing, and other Assembly Members, including Kirsty. Cerith Jones, one of the Welsh Assembly's Climate Change Champions (CCC), and 30 Year-Two pupils from Mount Stuart Primary School in Cardiff Bay were there too.

Dai will take the Welsh calls for a fair, ambitious and binding (FAB) climate deal to marches in London and Copenhagen next month.

Kirsty Williams said: "I am delighted that the Welsh Liberal Democrats have succeeded in securing cross party support for our motion to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2020 - this consensus is a great achievement and a strong step in the right direction. We must all work together to tackle climate change now in order to secure a greener future for our children and our planet."

Julian Rosser, Chair of Stop Climate Chaos Cymru, said: "Over the past few months thousands of people across Wales have been joining the campaign to Stop Climate Chaos, and many will show their support by attending the mass march in London on 5 December".

The SCC coalition believes that rich countries should take the lead by committing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and warmly welcomes last week's all-party agreement by the National Assembly that Wales will seek to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% (from 1990 levels) by 2020. This decision puts Wales at the forefront of the international debate around keeping a global temperature rise below 2C.

The Blue Dragon, along with hundreds of people from across Wales, will go on to The Wave event in Grosvenor Square, London at noon on Saturday 5 December, where the UK's biggest ever demonstration in support of action on climate change will take place, bringing together tens of thousands of people ahead of the crucial UN inter-governmental climate summit in Copenhagen.

From London, the Blue Dragon will travel to Copenhagen for the Climate Change talks, alongside Jane Davidson and Cerith Jones who are attending the Copenhagen conference.

Notes

Cerith Jones became a Climate Change Champion in January after winning a competition to find six young people who can use their influence to persuade their friends, families and communities to do their bit to help Wales reduce its carbon footprint.

SCC Cymru is a coalition that includes RSPB Cymru, WWF Cymru, Friends of the Earth, Oxfam Cymru, Christian Aid, Cafod, Sustrans, Unison and the National Federation of Women's Institutes, the combined membership of which far exceeds that of the political parties. It therefore represents a powerful public voice for action on climate change.

If you want to attend the event on Saturday, 5 December in London, or are interested in getting involved, please e-mail kate@stopclimatechaos.org; for more information about how to get to the mass march in London, please visit: http://www.stopclimatechaos.org/tags/Copenhagen

Kirsty Williams AM