2009 – Tom Burke

The EU should commit to 40% CO2 emissions reduction

On December 9, 2009March 13, 2012 By admin

by Nick Mabey and me. Posted by Copenhagen, Independent blog, via Stop Warming, on 9 December 2009. China and the United States have now put their opening bids for Copenhagen on the table. The US is offering a 17% reduction on its 2005 emissions subject to the passage of climate legislation […]

Tom Burke’s Political Commentary: Slouching away from Copenhagen: a terrible beauty was stillborn

On December 1, 2009April 11, 2012 By admin

Published in ENDS Report (Issue 419, p55), in December 2009. They came. They tried. They failed. Not one of the 119 world leaders who attended the Copenhagen summit came intending to shatter a global climate regime so painfully built over 20 years. But that is what they accomplished. Do not […]

Tom Burke’s Political Commentary: Environment profile low at party conferences

On October 1, 2009April 11, 2012 By admin

Published in ENDS Report (Issue 417, p54), in October 2009. Conference speeches by party leaders take on a special significance just before a general election. Their purpose is no longer simply to rally the faithful but to reach over the heads of party members and speak directly to the electorate. […]

Climate policy success imperative to achieve global goals

On September 27, 2009May 8, 2012 By admin

Published in The Times, in September 2009. Climate change transforms the landscape of risk and opportunity for countries, for companies and for citizens everywhere. This is equally true whether climate policy succeeds or fails. Policy success means building a carbon neutral global energy system by about the middle of the […]

The debate must focus on the human cost

On September 16, 2009March 13, 2012 By admin

Published in The Independent, on 16th September 2009.

Tom Burke’s Political Commentary: It’s time to realise the climate is too big to fail

On August 1, 2009April 11, 2012 By admin

Published in ENDS Report (Issue 415, p48), in August 2009. Climate change poses a systemic risk for humanity, one where a failure causes a cascade of contingent failures which lead to a collapse of a whole system. In this case, that system is the global economy. By analogy with a […]

Tom Burke’s Political Commentary: Labour’s environmental rhetoric fails to convince

On July 1, 2009April 11, 2012 By admin

Published in ENDS Report (Issue 414, p57), in July 2009. The songs of one’s youth stick in the memory. I have long remembered a line from a now forgotten song by the Incredible String Band. It was called The Hedgehog Song. It tells the story of a young man who […]

Speech: The future of climate policy

On June 18, 2009March 13, 2012 By admin

Given at The Royal Society, London, on 18th June 2009. Follow the link to view the full text of this speech, given to The Tomorrow Project.

Speech: OPEC vs Kyoto?

On May 29, 2009March 13, 2012 By admin

Given at the 8th Munich Economic Summit, on 29th May 2009. Follow the link to see the full text of the address at the 8th Munich Economic Summit.

Tom Burke’s Political Commentary: Nuclear renaissance will fail without public trust

On May 11, 2009April 11, 2012 By admin

Published in ENDS Report (Issue 412, p39), in May 2009. The current political crisis is more than a passing storm in the weather of events that politicians endure daily. To govern successfully in a parliamentary democracy they must possess both legitimacy and authority. The authority stems from the confidence of […]