Published: Wednesday, 19th August, 2009 1:34pm

Brown asks kids to back green bid

by Peter Swindon

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Gordon Brown has personally appealed to school children in his constituency to back the government's groundbreaking plan to tackle climate change.

The Prime Minister also revealed details of his family's commitment to reduce carbon emissions during an exclusive interview with the Central Fife Times.

The government has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 with the passing of the Climate Change Bill.

Britain is now aiming to broker an ambitious global agreement at a major United Nations conference in Copenhagen in December which could see emissions cut by 30 per cent.

The Prime Minister explained, "We are proposing a climate change deal that will bring about this agreement. It would involve America for the first time, it would also involve China and India - you've got to get all of these countries on board. While Britain has already made its decision to promote this, we have to get other countries on our side."

The Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP is keen that school children in Fife help get this message to their peers in countries across the world.

"We want schools to help us persuade other countries to get on board by linking up with schools in other countries," he said.

"We want all schools to be involved in the run up to Copenhagen, to look around at what can be done in Fife, but also to look around at what other countries have got to do."

Every school in Fife can expect a letter from the Prime Minster outlining his plans.

"We don't want this just to be a government initiative," he added, "we want all local communities to be involved.

"This starts locally."

Indeed, the Browns recycle at their home in North Queensferry and installed a solar panel that heats their water three years ago.

"We asked whether the best thing to was to install a wind turbine or a solar panel. I thought the best thing would be wind energy but the answer was solar so it emphasises the importance of the Fife Riviera," he laughed.

And his personal passion for tackling climate change also clearly comes across when asked about creating a better world for his two young children.

"When you see what's going to happen to the environment if we don't act, you've got to think of not just your own generation but of the next," the Prime Minister said. "We've got to make sure we take action in this generation to prevent the problems the could face our children.

"I regard the next few months as absolutely critical. We've got just over one hundred days to make sure that an agreement that will last for years is signed.

"We know what the problem of climate change is. We know the urgency of acting. We have led the world in suggesting how we can finance an agreement on climate change to the benefit of all countries in the world and now we need to get other countries on board."