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A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 13 June 2019

Britain to intensify fight against climate change

By GREGORY KATZ tries, including the Nether-
FRANK JORDANS lands, Norway and Swe-
Associated Press den already have the “net
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s zero” target enshrined in
outgoing prime minister on domestic laws, some of
Wednesday announced which are more ambitious
plans to eliminate the than the U.K. proposal.
country’s net contribution One difficulty has been
to climate change by 2050 keeping track of the efforts
as Europe’s effort to slow made by various countries
global warming picked up to reach their emissions
speed. goals. Sweden’s environ-
Theresa May said the plan mental agencies Wednes-
will be put before Parlia- day launched a platform
ment later in the day. The that allows citizens to moni-
amendment to the 2008 tor the country’s progress
Climate Change Act will in- toward the net-zero emis-
tensify Britain’s push to dras- sions target by 2045.
tically reduce carbon emis- The online dashboard dis-
sions ahead of a European plays the country’s carbon
Union summit next week emissions data by sector
that’s expected to address and allows users to view
the bloc’s effort to tackle various efforts in place in
global warming. Though Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May during a visit to Imperial College where she saw machinery Sweden, as well as planned
Britain plans to leave the which converts carbon dioxide into oxygen, in London, Wednesday, June 12, 2019. actions toward CO2 reduc-
EU, there is broad cross- Associated Press tion. Users can zoom in from
party support in Parliament Scientists say the world to increases in extreme dustrialized countries, such Sweden’s national carbon
for the international fight must stop pumping more weather. as France and Germany, emissions in the transport
against climate change. greenhouse gases into the While experts agree it won’t which are working on simi- sector all the way down to
“Standing by is not an op- atmosphere no later than be possible to eliminate all lar legislation to be passed local policies aimed at in-
tion,” she said. “Reaching the middle of the century emissions of carbon diox- this year. creasing the use of public
net zero by 2050 is an ambi- if it wants to stop average ide and other greenhouse Under President Donald transport.
tious target, but it is crucial global temperatures from gases, “net zero” would en- Trump, the United States “We’re talking about the
that we achieve it to en- rising more than 1.5 de- sure that an equal amount has backed away from transformation of all soci-
sure we protect our planet grees C (2.7 F) compared of gas would be captured the entire Paris agreement, ety,” said Ola Altera, the
for future generations.” The to pre-industrial times. by natural means such as though some U.S. states head of the Swedish Cli-
government’s Committee The ambitious goal, set in forests or artificial systems and cities have set their mate Policy Council, who
on Climate Change says the 2015 Paris accord, is that suck carbon out of the own targets for legislation says visualization gives a
the change will help public seen as the best chance of atmosphere. for cutting carbon emis- common picture of “where
health by reducing air and preventing potentially cat- May’s announcement sions over the coming de- we are, where we are
noise pollution and also astrophic effects of climate means Britain will likely cades. going, and how we are
help biodiversity. change, from sea level rise leapfrog other major in- Smaller European coun- doing.”q

Catalan separatists defend actions at end of Spanish trial

Associated Press pected in several months. Prosecutors accuse the de-
MADRID (AP) — A rebellion Catalonia’s independence fendants of trying to stage
and sedition trial resulting push triggered Spain’s a coup. Most defense law-
from a push to take the Cat- worst constitutional crisis yers argued their clients
alonia region out of Spain in decades as the Span- were, at the most, guilty of
wrapped up Wednesday ish government dissolved disobedience, which could
with prosecuted leaders ar- Catalonia’s regional par- mean fines and a possible
guing they exercised their liament, removed the re- ban from holding public of-
democratic rights by hold- gion’s government from fice.
ing a banned indepen- office and transferred their The Constitutional Court
dence referendum. duties to Madrid. outlawed the October 2017
The dozen ex-officials and The defendants have be- ballot, which Junqueras
activists on trial, who hope come a potent symbol and the other defendants
to avoid prison sentences, for the Catalan indepen- played a part in organizing.
told the Spanish Supreme dence movement, and the It said Spain’s constitution
Court in Madrid that long- In this Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019 file photo, pro independence trial’s outcome could set doesn’t allow one of its re-
running secession efforts in demonstrators hold photos of imprisoned and exiled pro- the tone for Spanish politics gions to break away.
Catalonia were part of a independence political leaders, during a demonstration in for years to come. Other prominent secession-
political conflict with na- Barcelona, Spain. State prosecutors are seek- ists in the trial are the former
tional authorities and didn’t Associated Press ing a 25-year sentence for speaker of Catalonia’s re-
belong in a courtroom. the 2017 secession bid for tics ... which it never should Junqueras for rebellion, gional parliament, Carme
“Casting a vote cannot be which he was charged had have left,” Junqueras said which under Spanish law Forcadell, activist-turned-
considered a crime,” for- been non-violent. as four months of hearings requires proving that vio- politician Jordi Sánchez
mer Catalan vice president “The best for everyone in the high-profile case lence was used to disrupt and activist Jordi Cuixart.
Oriol Junqueras said in his fi- would be to place this issue drew to a close. the country’s constitutional Cuixart said the defendants
nal statement, adding that back in the sphere of poli- A decision in the case is ex- order. are political prisoners.q