Steve Webb MP in Cambridge - Howarth / City

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 11th Jul 2008

David Howarth MP and Steve Webb MP

Steve Webb MP in Cambridge.

Steve Webb MP, Lib Dem Shadow Environment Secretary, lent his support to David Howarth MP and Cambridge Lib Dems to raise awareness on the threat of climate change.

David, Steve and Sian Reid met with:

• Prof Gehan Amaratunga, Department of Electrical Engineering;

• Dr Aled Jones, University of Cambridge Programme for Industry;

• Hugh Parnell from Envirotech Ltd;

• Sustainable City team, Cambridge City Council.

David Howarth said:

"The Climate Change Bill is the biggest issue in our mailbags and I share my constituents' concerns.

"We need to raise the target to 80%, we need to include international aviation emissions and we need companies to report on their carbon emissions. Otherwise, the bill is toothless.

"Steve Webb was very impressed by Cambridge's efforts to implement eco-friendly measures. Cambridge companies and Cambridge City Council are leading the way in the fight against climate change and are dedicated to making Cambridge a greener city."

Steve Webb said:

"Climate change is bigger than any one political party, so support for the Liberal Democrat campaign for an 80% cut by 2050 is welcomed wherever it comes from.

"The Government has got the emissions target wrong and once again it looks like its own backbench MPs will have to rebel to get ministers to do the right thing.

"Both Gordon Brown and David Cameron must come off the fence on this issue. By allowing his Tories to constantly abstain David Cameron is showing how hollow his green credentials really are.

"The Climate Change Bill is too important to be watered down. The Liberal Democrats will be tabling an amendment today to make sure there will be a vote on the 80% target."