Big Ask (campaign)

The Big Ask was a campaign by Friends of the Earth calling for a new climate change law in the United Kingdom and 15 other EU member states. ^[1] The United Kingdom Government announced the introduction of the Climate Change Bill in the Queen's Speech on 15 November 2006. This was after 130,000 people across the country had asked their MP to support such a bill. ^[2] Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke was a spokesperson for the campaign. ^[3]

UK Climate Change Bill

This law is intended to tackle the main cause of climate change — emissions of carbon dioxide gas.

The law that Friends of the Earth are called for would require the UK Government to cut the amounts of carbon dioxide being released by 3% year on year.

The Big Ask reasoning was: ^[4]

• All the major political parties say climate change is the biggest threat we face
• They all have ambitious targets for cutting carbon dioxide (20% by 2010, 60% by 2050)
• Yet emissions of carbon dioxide in the UK keep on rising
• The UK needs to show leadership in showing that climate change can be tackled
• The Climate Change Bill is the best way of doing this

Draft bill

The Government has now produced a Draft Climate Change Bill with a closing date for responses on 12 June 2007. ^[5] The Big Ask Campaign has entered its next stage and is campaigning to make the Bill stronger than the Draft Bill. People are being asked to lobby their MPs again to ask them to support a Bill that will:

• reduce emissions every year so the UK reaches a target of at least 80% cuts by 2050
• include annual targets so politicians can't blame preceding Governments for missed targets
• include emissions from international aviation and shipping

Big Ask Web March

In 2007 the Big Ask has created a Big Ask Web March. ^[6] People are invited to upload short video clips calling for a strong Climate Change Bill.

See also

• Climate change in the United Kingdom

References

1. "About the European Big Ask Campaign". Friends of the Earth. Archived from the original on 2008-03-03.
2. "The Big Ask Campaign - A brief history of the campaign for a new climate change law" (PDF). Friends of the Earth.
3. "The Big Ask: how you helped make climate change history". Friends of the Earth. 22 August 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
4. "Launch of the Big Ask : 2005 : Archive". Friends of the Earth.
5. "Draft Climate Change Bill". Defra. Archived from the original on 2007-05-17.
6. "Big Ask Web March". Friends of the Earth. Archived from the original on 2015-09-07. Retrieved 2007-08-07.