Greens: Start of fracking puts sledgehammer through climate targets
15 October 2018
The Green Party has responded to news Cuadrilla has started fracking at its site in Preston New Road, Lancashire, today (Monday 15 October). The move marks the first fracking to take place in Britain in seven years [1].
Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, said the start of fracking on the first day of the Conservative’s Green GB Week [2], and just days after the UN’s IPCC report [3], revealed the “rank hypocrisy” of a Government which has “backed frackers to put a sledgehammer through our climate targets”.
Bartley said:
“The Government is backing frackers to put a sledgehammer through our climate targets. Just days after the UN warned we have 12 years to face climate catastrophe fracking has started in Britain for the first time in seven years. Marking the start of Green GB Week with the start of fracking is rank hypocrisy.
“This proves just how deeply the filth of fossil fuels runs through our political establishment. The Government has forced fracking on Lancashire after the community said no and now drilling has started before all their concerns have been fully heard or answered.
“Public support for fracking is in freefall and the anti-fracking movement will continue to go from strength to strength. To tackle the scale of climate breakdown ministers must commit to keeping fossil fuels in the ground where they belong, and investing instead in a renewable revolution for the future.”
Notes:
2. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/landmark-week-of-action-to-celebrate-clean-growth