Thom Yorke launches Big Ask Europe campaign following UK success story

A campaign to encourage the European Union to make annual emissions cuts legally binding was launched yesterday.

Friends of the Earth campaigners were joined in Brussels by Radiohead singer Thom Yorke at the launch of The Big Ask Europe campaign. Yorke also held a meeting with the European Environment Commissioner Stavos Dimas.

Big Ask Europe is calling for the EU to make a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions within Europe by 2012 legally binding, and to set a target of 90% reductions by 2050.

The Big Ask UK campaign was launched by Yorke in May 2005, and has culminated in the UK becoming the first country in the world to set legally binding CO2 emissions targets

The campaign launch was marked across Europe, with Friends of the Earth members and supporters holding events such as snowman rallies in Finland, and sandbag building in the Netherlands.

Before the launch, Yorke said: “We will never wake from the nightmare of climate change unless our national governments and the European Union act.

“They are the only ones who can put the structure in place that will help us tackle climate change.”

Friends of the Earth campaigner Tom Picken added: “The fact is, climate change is a global issue.

“While it is important that countries like the UK can show the leadership needed, what is fundamental is that countries all across the world do it so that emissions come down.

“The solutions are there. What is lacking is the political will.”