To eliminate the fear of first-mover disadvantage, SP’s range of global
measures is to be implemented simultaneously, only when all or sufficient
governments have signed up. By posing no-risk to any nation’s international
competitiveness, simultaneous action removes excuses for inaction and delay
and opens the way to far more robust policies being adopted than relatively
weak agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol. Contraction & Convergence, a
powerful international framework designed to combat global warming, is one
measure that has been put forward for potential inclusion in SP’s package of
global problem-solving measures.
To secure sufficient international political will for the implementation of
SP, citizens around the world who support it, known as Adopters, tell
politicians that they will be voting in all future national elections for
any candidate, within reason, who has signed the pledge to implement SP
alongside other governments, or they encourage their preferred party to
support SP. In this way, competition between candidates is intensified to a
point where politicians who fail to support SP risk losing their seats to
those who do. With more parliamentary seats and even entire national
elections being won or lost on fine margins, only a relatively small number
of Adopters may be needed to make it in the vital interests of the main
politicians and parties to support SP.
Celia Barlow’s pledge to implement SP follows vigorous local campaigning by
Brighton and Hove’s SP Adopters Group, chaired by Barnaby Flynn. Local
Adopter groups meet regularly around the UK and recruit new Adopters, so
building the pressure on politicians to sign the SP Pledge. Caroline Lucas,
the Green Party MEP who will stand at the next election in the neighbouring
Brighton Pavilion constituency, has already signed the SP Pledge and
competing candidates from other parties are expected to follow.
Adopting SP is free. Please go to
http://www.simpol.org/en/main/Concept.htm#Adopt For further information
visit www.simpol.org or contact Diana Trimble. For Barnaby Flynn, contact
07799 603042.