Intelligent thinking needed on environment - Watson

2.27.52pm GMT Wed 22nd Feb 2006

Graham Watson, the Lib Dem MEP for South West England and Gibraltar spoke today at the Environmental Integration and Economic Development Conference in Exeter, where he gave the keynote speech on the environmental legacy of European structural funding.

Mr Watson said:

"The new generation structural funds will be geared mainly to economic growth. 60% of Objective One for Cornwall and 75% of Objective Two for the rest of the South West will be earmarked for the Lisbon agenda. But with intelligent thinking - "mining the gold in people's heads", as the Japanese call it - we can fund projects which have economic and environmental benefits. One example of this is Cornwall's wave hub."

Graham Watson also welcomed the Environment Agency's report on climate change published yesterday, which suggests the UK will need to make significant changes in the coming years in order to avoid abrupt climate changes. Mr Watson commented:

"During the 20th century the Earth experienced the greatest period of warming in the last thousand years. Droughts, floods, hurricanes and earthquakes are no longer the stuff of Biblical lore. They are a reality for millions of people, rich and poor. This report shows that tough decisions need to be taken now."

Mr Watson, voted some years ago the South West's greenest MEP, this week reinforced his green credentials by switching his office electricity supply to electricity 100% generated by renewable projects. He said:

"Getting green electricity not only benefits the environment but is also saving me money. I recommend everyone investigates changing over to renewable energy".