Foreign secretary briefing
The GGF was recently invited by the Foreign Secretary and the Department of Energy and Climate Change to be briefed on the UK government’s priorities for the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen
GGF chief executive, Nigel Rees, was part of a 20-strong group of people who share a mutual involvement with an organisation called SERA, which aims to promote sustainable environmental policies within government and the Labour Party. Members of SERA include Labour politicians, businesses, environmental professionals and trade unionists.
Nigel Rees gave advice to the Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon David Miliband MP, and Emily Thornberry MP, the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Joan Ruddock as Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change.
At the meeting, David Miliband said: “We need a deal at Copenhagen that is ambitious, effective and fair. We need targets so that emissions peak and start to decline in the next 10 years. There is also a need to agree financing whereby we remove specific blockages on financing for cleaner energy, energy efficiency and renewable energy.”
Nigel Rees explained that he will continue to use that meeting as an opportunity to voice the concerns and ambitions of the glass and glazing industry to the government. “I have written to David Miliband MP following the meeting promoting the benefits of energy efficient windows and glazing, and what fiscal incentives are needed to get the existing housing stock improved to a higher level of energy efficiency,” Nigel said.
