英國新任首相布朗（Gordon Brown）任命新的環境部長。在前任首相布萊爾任職10年下台後，6月27日布朗接任新首相。當前英國面臨的重要核心議題是氣候變遷，及輻射廢棄物等。布朗首相指定國會議員班恩（Hilary Benn）為掌管國家環境、食品和農村事務部部長，前任部長米利班（David Miliband）改任外交與聯邦事務部大臣。
班恩掌管的環境、食品與農村事務部，目前面臨的議題為氣候變遷與英國核廢料處置問題。地球之友主席朱尼佩說：「我們非常歡迎班恩就任新職務，他當前的任務是確保有強而有力的氣候變遷法案，藉此並實踐英國每年至少碳排放減量達3%。米利班已提出可行的減量動能，現在班恩該完成這份任務。班恩能因此機會在歷史上留名。」
聯合國氣候變遷會議將在今年11月在印尼舉行，會議中將規劃出在2012年京都譯定書到期後，限制溫室氣體排放的新國際協議。朱尼佩表示，地球之友希望現任環境部長與前任，能夠形成「堅強的夥伴關係，以確保英國繼續在接下來的國際氣候變遷協商中扮演關鍵的角色。」
在英國，2007年5月在能源白皮書中公布的碳減量計畫，即為修改後的排放額和交易方針，將限制高達5000家大型企業和公部門的排放量，這些機構每年排放近1400萬噸的二氧化碳。
The United Kingdom has a new environment secretary in the newly formed government of Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The new Prime Minister took office on Wednesday as former Prime Minister Tony Blair resigned the post he has held for the past 10 years. Issues of climate change and radioactive waste disposal are front and center in the UK today.
Prime Minister Brown appointed Member of Parliament Hilary Benn to be secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, replacing MP David Miliband, who now joins the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as foreign secretary.
Benn will head The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, DEFRA, which is now dealing with issues of climate change and disposal of Britain's nuclear waste.
Friends of the Earth Director Tony Juniper said, "We welcome Hilary Benn to his new role - his challenge is to make sure we get a strong Climate Change Bill which includes a commitment to reduce the UK's carbon emissions by at least three percent per year. David Miliband has created considerable momentum in this direction and now it is up to Hilary Benn to finish the job. In this he has a chance to make history."
The United Nations climate conference set for Indonesia in November is expected to be the forum that maps out a global agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions when the current Kyoto Protocol, to which Britain is a Party, expires in 2012.
Juniper said his group would like to see the present and past environment secretaries form "a strong partnership to ensure that Britain continues to play a pivotal role in the up-coming international climate change negotiations."
At home, the Carbon Reduction Commitment, announced in the Energy White Paper in May, is a mandatory cap and trade scheme that will cap emissions from up to 5,000 large business and public sector organizations, which are collectively responsible for around 14 million metric tons of carbon each year.
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
