As the oldest think tank in Britain, and one of the antecedents of the Labour Party, the Fabian Society often discusses and shapes New Labour policy long before it reaches the ears of cabinet. Many environmental thinkers, then, watched the Road to Copenhagen discussions closely. Chaired by Ed Miliband, current head of state for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), his words on the future of environmental policy in Britain, particularly ahead of the climate change summit, are priceless.

In his speech, Ed Miliband stated that,

"If we leave climate change to a question of managerialism around targets, finance and technology, we will be sunk. You cannot sustain radicalism for decades or even for months without an appeal to the deeper reservoir of people’s values. At the core of action on climate change is a fundamental moral question about whether we care about the legacy we leave to future generations: about whether we think it is fair or just to take advantage of the planet’s resources as if there were no tomorrow.

The question we must pose is whether we break the bond of the human race over our time on this planet: that the earth is held in trust by each generation for the next. This is an issue of equality, of fairness, of morality and we should say it. As we seek to advance our political argument, we should not shy away from this and we should honestly ask people how they want to be remembered by history."

What is clear, then, is that Miliband's agenda is one that targets social as well as environmental form, a view held by many as the key to the climate change problem. This group includes, not least, the Green Party in the UK, but to some extent, the Obama Administration in the US.

The Copenhagen summit will put in place an action plan that will render the Kyoto Protocol, the current benchmark for carbon emissions policy worldwide, obsolete.In a system that focuses mostly on targets, it has had its ups and downs. What Ed Miliband, and others,  are advocating, is a policy that includes the general public as much as it sets targets for governments and businesses.

This has pros and cons. Whilst a sense of alienation from government policy is never a good thing, there is a fear that - in a social reform that includes greater responsibility on ordinary people, for environmental issues - the government and businesses would lose accountability.What must be clear at Copenhagen is that a wider inclusion of populations in environmental reform, should not lower the responsibility placed on companies and on the governments.

Miliband also stated in his speech that, "the political argument must appeal to people’s values and people’s interests."

This is absolutely true, and general populations must not feel that, rather than being given a greater chance to cooperate, they are being passed the buck. There is more for the business sector to do, before responsibility even reaches general populations, and this must be reflected in the Copenhagen climate change summit.

Nonetheless, with the Fabian Society uniquely placed as a think tank with an almost exclusive precursor to New Labour policy, the speech delivered by Ed Miliband at The Road to Copenhagen is a welcoming one.

For more, visit the Fabian Society website

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